America's big two tumble out on day of shocks

*Third seed Agassi is humbled in three sets by 23-year-old Thai opponent *Sixth seed Sampras beaten by Swiss opponent ranked No 145 in world *Second seed Safin is overwhelmed in four sets by unfancied Belgian

It was a splendid day for the 42,457 spectators, a record for a single day at Wimbledon, but one to forget for ageing Americans and a Russian in his prime. Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi packed their bags after losing in the second round, along with Todd Martin, who has never reached the heights of his illustrious compatriots, but has been close to winning a major title here and there.

They arrived at the exit gate shortly after Marat Safin, the tall, powerful, 22-year-old second seed from Moscow, who was made to look small by a diminutive Belgian, Olivier Rochus. The 21-year-old, who eliminated his older brother, Christophe, in the first round, defeated the erratic Safin, 6-2, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6. "I was missing everything," Safin groaned.

So, even before the completion of the second round, we have witnessed the biggest culling among the top eight men's seeds since the open era began in 1968. Only Australia's Lleyton Hewitt (No 1), Britain's Tim Henman (No 4), and Russia's Yevgeny Kafelnikov (No 5) remain, with Hewitt and Henman due to play their second round matches today.

Of three former Wimbledon men's singles champions, only Richard Krajicek is still fighting his corner. The 30-year-old Dutchman, who only weeks ago wondered if he would be able to resume his career after an elbow injury, won yesterday's most thrilling contest, defeating the 22-year-old American James Blake, 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 4-6, 11-9.

"It's unbelievable," Krajicek, the 1996 champion, said. "I was just happy to play. I was so happy I won my first round. Anything after that was a bonus."

Blake, typically, swallowed his disappointment, and looked on the bright side. "It seems like they get some great matches like this every year," he said. "It's an honour to be part of one. Unfortunately, I came out on the wrong side of it."

Agassi, the third seed, one of only five men in the history of the sport to have completed a collection of the four Grand Slam singles titles, was defeated on Centre Court, 6-4, 7-6, 6-2, by Paradorn Srichaphan, of Thailand, whose most important visit to Britain this year was supposed to be for a Davis Cup World Group play-off in Birmingham in September.

"I'm a little stunned and certainly disappointed," Agassi said. "I just never found my rhythm. I played a very average match against a guy who was taking it to me and deserved to win." Srichaphan thought so, too. The world No 67 borrowed Agassi's script to the extent of bowing to the spectators.

Sampras, the sixth seed, who had come to regard the All England Club as a safe house in a green and pleasant land, was stunned by George Bastl, of Switzerland, who only gained a place in the tournament because of an injury to a qualifier. Bastl, ranked No 145 in the world, won, 6-3, 6-2, 4-6, 3-6, 6-4.

It was not what Sampras said, it was the way he looked so completely demoralised while trying to sound defiant in the face of advancing years and diminishing powers.

Great sporting champions are often the last to accept the inevitable truth that they can no longer be the best at what they do. Having to settle for less goes against the inner force that drove their talent to the pinnacle in the first place.

A player who has won seven Wimbledon singles championships and a record 13 Grand Slam singles titles, and has ended the season as the world No 1 six times in a row, does not lose to George Bastl in the second round in five sets on Court Two and call it a day. There has to be a curtain call on the big stage. "I plan on being back," Sampras said, his voice close to breaking with emotion. "I'm not going to end my time here with that loss."

That was not intended as a slight on Bastl, a 27-year-old Chicago-born Swiss, who lost in the first round on his only previous visit to the Wimbledon lawns. "I give him credit," Sampras said, who was less generous to the All England Club's order of play committee for sending him to a court popularly known as "The graveyard of Champions."

"I wasn't happy about it," said Sampras, who last played on Court Two in 1999, when he defeated Daniel Nestor, of Canada, in the fourth round. "I would much rather have gone on a different court [Centre or One]," he added. "Court Two is a very small court, and is not quite as comfortable. It's a just different atmosphere."

Careful not to blame the environment too much for his own shortcomings, Sampras said: "But that's scheduling. You have to play on any court. Anything can happen out there on any court. It's still a tennis court, still the same dimensions."

There were times in the opening two sets when Sampras's error-strewn play suggested that the court might have shrunk overnight. He struggled with his serve and his volleys, and it seemed that his backhand was frozen mid-stroke. This Sampras would hardly have graced Centre Court yesterday, on its 80th anniversary.

"My serve just let me down," he said. "That's one shot I can rely on when I'm not hitting the ball well. But I wasn't getting any serves in, and George was playing great. But I told myself to hang in there in the third set and, hopefully, get some momentum, and I did. Things were looking pretty good there." Sampras's game continued to improve, and Bastl's thatch seemed to flop less jauntily over his bandana.

"Come on!" Sampras cried after saving a break point with an ace at 2-2 in the fifth set. He then created a break point at 4-3. Bastl saved it, hitting a winning smash at the second attempt.

"Everything happened very quickly from 4-4," Sampras said. For him, the blur came when, serving at 30-40 in the eighth game, Sampras missed a forehand half-volley after his opponent hit a backhand return. Bastl served out the match. Sampras congratulated him, then went over to his chair, sat down, and fiddled with his racket strings, his wondering if, and when, his two-year run without winning a title anywhere since defeating Pat Rafter in the final here in 2000 would end.

Pressed again about his future, Sampras said: "Well, I'm not going to give in to the critics. I'm going to stop on my own terms, not when someone else thinks I should stop."

The men's tournament, which has seemed more open than usual from the start, is now positively appetising for the ambitious whether outsiders or fancied contenders. Greg Rusedski, the British No 2, advanced, and if he can overcome Andy Roddick, of America, the No 11 seed, his confidence will start to grow. The concern here is that the wild card Mark Philippoussis, the powerful Australian, overcame Thomas Enqvist, the No 14 seed, yesterday in straight sets and could be waiting in ambush.

Philippoussis, ranked No104, has spent two months in a wheelchair after his third knee operation. Although encouraged with his progress generally, he was not altogether happy with serving yesterday. "As the match went on I got better," he said. "My return game is a little better as each match goes by. I got a little bit upset but it's just more to pump myself up. I'm happy the way I concentrated today, even after losing two breaks in the first set."

Philippoussis next plays Nicolas Kiefer of Germany. "It doesn't really worry me who I play," he said. "I just worry about myself."

A number of people will be worrying about Philippoussis and the damage he is capable of doing. After all, we discovered last year how dangerous a big server with a wild card can be.