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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Upsets Prevail At Wimbledon Agassi, Courier, Chang Bow, But Seles Wins

Steve Wilstein Associated Press

In a puzzling free fall for months, Andre Agassi wore the vacant, red-eyed look of a man whose career is crashing out of control.

What happened to Agassi at Wimbledon in Monday’s first round was much different from the relatively routine upsets that knocked out Michael Chang and Jim Courier earlier in the afternoon under a mottled sky the color of a bruise.

Agassi’s loss bore all the signs of third-degree burnout, the kind of performance that makes a player question his desire, his direction and his future.

The third-seeded Agassi came to Wimbledon as unprepared and unfit as he had gone to the French Open last month. This time, he left a round sooner, flaming out 2-6, 7-6 (7-1), 6-4, 7-6 (8-6) against a journeyman qualifier from the satellite tour, No. 281-ranked Doug Flach, in one of the most stunning upsets of the Open era.

Pete Sampras, opening his bid for a fourth straight Wimbledon title, dropped the first set against Richey Reneberg, then proceeded to a 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 victory.

Following Sampras on Centre Court was Monica Seles, playing her first Wimbledon match since losing in the 1992 final to Steffi Graf. Seles looked perfectly at home in breezing to a 6-1, 6-2 win over Ann Grossman.

Seles received long ovations before and after the match as the crowd acknowledged her return to Wimbledon for the first time since her stabbing in 1993.

“It was almost like walking out there the first time for me,” Seles said. “The crowd was so responsive. It was a great welcome.”

Flach, who served 22 aces, made his share of once-in-a-lifetime shots, none more spectacular than the volley he hit after rising from a belly-flop dive at the net.

“That’s the first time I’ve ever dived for a ball on grass,” said Flach, a 25-year-old who had played only one ATP Tour match in the past two years. “I know it’s possible, but that was a crazy point. Actually, after the point, I was so, like, freaked out. I didn’t know where I was for a minute. The crowd was clapping so loud, and that was really neat.”

Flach, better known as the brother of former doubles specialist Ken Flach, started the year ranked close to 600 and had won $2,205 in prize money going into Wimbledon. He earned more than six times that figure just by getting to the second round.

As inspired as Flach played, Agassi appeared equally indifferent, acting more like a fashion model than a true competitor.

Sweat dripped in a steady drizzle from the brim of Agassi’s logo-stamped cap, yet he never took it off. He wore a tight long-sleeved shirt he’s promoting, and that might have restricted his swing and caused him to sweat more. He wore a bright yellow watch, as if he had to keep track of the time for a date somewhere. It was the ensemble of a pitchman, not a player.

Four years ago, Agassi won his first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon. Last year, he came in ranked No. 1 and reached the semifinals. Now, he’s played just five matches in the past three months, losing three of them, and there’s a sense that, at 26, the peak of his career may be behind him along with the pleasure of playing.

“I’m trying to kind of get myself at the top of my game again,” Agassi said, somewhat unconvincingly. “You know, when you’ve been there, and then all of a sudden your game is a little off, there’s more frustration to it.”

He could offer no explanation for his poor play this year and, despite a touch of flu a few days ago, he made no excuses, except to say the conditions on Court 2, dubbed the “graveyard of champions,” were difficult.

“It’s definitely a tough court to play on,” Agassi said of the court where John McEnroe, Jimmy Connors, Ilie Nastase and other notables had gone down to early defeat. “From one side of the court, you can’t see one line.”

Flach actually had the odd luck of putting himself into the draw against Agassi after going through the qualifying tournament.

“The ATP guy asked me if I wanted to draw out of the hat to see where I was going, and I told him I’d never do that because it was bad karma,” Flach said. “I told him, ‘I’m going to draw Agassi if I do this.’ He was the 14th one out of the hat and, sure enough, I drew him.”

Agassi was one of four men’s seeds eliminated, joining No. 6 Chang, No. 8 Courier and No. 15 Arnaud Boetsch. With No. 7 Thomas Muster out with an injury, it is only the second time at Wimbledon during the Open era that just four of the top eight men remain after the first round.

Chang lost 3-6, 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (7-1), 6-4 to Alberto Costa, a Spanish clay-court expert who had never won a grass-court match.

Courier, a Wimbledon runner-up three years ago, was ousted 6-2, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 by fellow American Jonathan Stark, a doubles specialist who took the mixed doubles title last year with Martina Navratilova.

Stark beat Courier once before, in 1993 in Tokyo, when Courier was ranked No. 1. Courier had won their other two meetings.

France’s Boetsch lost to Alexander Radulescu of Germany 6-3, 6-4, 6-7 (2-7), 5-7, 9-7.

Sampras went down a break in the second set against Reneberg before rallying. After struggling to find his footing and rhythm, Sampras settled into his grass-court groove.

“The court was so green, a little bit slippery,” said Sampras, who is guaranteed to retain his No. 1 ranking now that Agassi is out. “It was hard keeping my footing out there. Every year, I play the first match at 2 o’clock. It’s always the same ball game, very slippery. I can get used to that.”

Seles, the women’s No. 2 seed, disposed of Grossman in 50 minutes. Grossman smiled broadly and twirled her racket after holding serve at love in the second game, but she barely put up a challenge the rest of the way.

Seles basked in the warm reception of the fans but was so jittery that, one time, the racket sailed out of her hands. “I don’t think that ever happened to me before,” she said.

Other first-round winners included Boris Becker, the three-time champion and No. 2 seed; No. 4 Goran Ivanisevic, a two-time finalist; and No. 12 Stefan Edberg, a former two-time champion. Former women’s champion Conchita Martinez also won easily.