U.S. Open Features Couple of Surprises : Tennis: Huber reaches women’s quarterfinals for first time while boyfriend Medvedev prepares for today’s fourth-round match against Kafelnikov.

NEW YORK — France’s Davis Cup captain Guy Forget spotted Andrei Medvedev here during the U.S. Open and offered his most sincere congratulations, letting him also know that people in Paris were thinking about him.

How nice.

But Medvedev, a French Open finalist in June, sort of guessed that Forget was not talking about his birthday, which was Aug. 31.

“Why?” asked Medvedev.

Forget: “You get married.”

Medvedev: “Really? I didn’t know that. When?”

Love is in the air. Again.

Medvedev, of Ukraine, charmed everyone in Paris with his heartfelt feelings about his rekindled love affair with women’s tour player, Anke Huber of Germany.

Now the love story has moved from Europe to New York, and both players are asked about marriage plans on a daily basis.

“No, no, please,” said Huber, blushing.

Medvedev: “Maybe if I win, then I’ll consider it.”

How about if Huber wins?

She reached the quarterfinals here for the first time, knocking off 15th-seeded Amelie Mauresmo of France, 6-4, 6-4, on a rain-marred Sunday that featured several stops and starts. Huber will play top-seeded Martina Hingis of Switzerland in the quarterfinals.

Although Huber has defeated Hingis just once in nine matches, eight of those nine matches have gone three sets. Today, Medvedev will attempt to join Huber in the quarterfinals but faces a formidable fourth-round test against his golfing buddy, third-seeded Yevgeny Kafelnikov of Russia.

“It’s nice, I cannot say more,” Huber said of their mutual success.

“It’s nice to see him doing well. I guess he feels the same way. There’s nothing more to say about that.”

Not according to Medvedev.

“It’s what I’ve been talking about in Paris,” he said. “I think it’s her turn to talk about it. She’s in the spotlight. I hope she’s getting the energy from me and the positive feelings because I certainly did or still do when I’m with her.”

Medvedev had problems with his motivation after the French Open high.

“I feel I’m getting it back,” he said. “New York is such an electrifying place that you have to be dead not to get energy from it.”

Once, he used to dislike New York. That too has changed and he has an apartment in Manhattan.

“Actually hate and love is very close,” Medvedev said. “Sometimes you don’t know if you hate it or love it. I realize I love this city.

“This city you can do anything 24 hours a day. You have a 1-800 number for every need you need. Everything is toll free, fat free. It’s the best. Really, I love it. It’s dirty. It’s crazy. It’s loud. But I love it.”

He has been thinking a lot about New York, even though he has to wait in line to get a court in Central Park.

“I just like to walk on the street and look at the people,” Medvedev said. “I have a feeling you can be walking naked on the street and still nobody will look at you. You can drive a super modern tank shooting right and left and people wouldn’t pay attention.”

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Of course, the U.S. Open wouldn’t be the U.S. Open if someone wasn’t retiring from a match because of injury or illness.

Add two more players to the long list: Magnus Larsson of Sweden and Fabrice Santoro of France. Larsson, who has been suffering from tendinitis in his left knee, retired after losing the first set, 6-3, in his third-round match against seventh-seeded Todd Martin.

Martin will play No. 9 Greg Rusedski of Great Britain in the fourth round. Rusedski took out Chris Woodruff, 7-5, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.

Santoro was still exhausted after his five-setter against Jan-Michael Gambill in the second round. He needed intravenous fluids after that match and quit in the third set against Jiri Novak of the Czech Republic. Novak was ahead, 6-1, 6-0, 5-1, when Santoro retired.

The top-seeded Hingis recorded her 12th consecutive victory against No. 10 Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario of Spain, 6-4, 7-5, in another fourth-round match.

“Today was tough conditions, a long, long day at the office,” Hingis said. “A lot of waiting around.”

She joked that she could not eat much pasta after her day match was moved to the evening, saying: “Of course, you don’t want to eat like a huge American portion.”

Today’s Featured Matches

WOMEN

Jennifer Capriati vs. Monica Seles (4)

Julie Halard-Decugis vs. Lindsay Davenport (2)

Serena Williams (7) vs. Conchita Martinez (16)

MEN

Arnaud Clement vs. Andre Agassi (2)