Agassi, Sampras stunned by rank outsiders

ROME, MAY 8. American heavyweights Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras were both floored by first-round knock-out punches from supposedly lightweight contenders on Tuesday, day two of the ATP tennis Masters series tournament here at Rome's Foro Italico.

Fourth seed Sampras was the first to bite the dust when unseeded Israeli Harel Levy completed the job he had started before rain had intervened on Monday, outgunning `pistol Pete' 7- 5, 2-6, 6- 4.

And third seed Agassi, one of only five men to win all four Grand Slams, followed his compatriot out when he was beaten 6-3, 6-3 by Alex Calatrava, an unseeded Spaniard who nonetheless is an accomplished clay court player.

Levy had carried a 7-5, 1-3 lead into the day after rain halted the match last evening but fourth seed Sampras easily wrapped up the second set, taking the tie into the decider.

The 29-year-old Sampras, who has won more Grand Slams than any other player, was generous in defeat although his hopes of winning an elusive French Open later this month-played on clay as in Rome-tumbled with this reverse.

Levy said the win was the biggest of his career. ``Today I played against my idol, which is a very difficult thing to do,'' he said. ``But I think I put my emotions aside and played pretty well.''

In other action, Russia's Yevgeny Kafelnikov advanced in his first-round match when Romania's Andrei Pavel withdrew in the second set with back problems. Kafelnikov, the No. 5 seed, was leading 7-5, 3-1, when Pavel pulled out.

South Africa's Wayne Ferreira knocked off No. 16 Dominik Hrbaty of Slovakia, 6-2, 6-4.

Also advancing was 10th-seed Alex Corretja of Spain, coming back from a set down to beat countryman Carlos Moya 5-7, 7-5, 6-1. Other seeds to advance included Australia's Lleyton Hewitt, Spain's Juan Carlos Ferrero (8) and Argentina's Franco Squillari (15).

American Todd Martin was knocked out in straight sets by France's Julien Boutter.

Kuerten, who finished last season atop the men's rankings, is the No. 1 seed at the $2.95 million Italian Open, which he won in 1999. The 24-year-old Brazilian won in Monte Carlo two weeks ago, but has been battling a nagging thigh injury that forced him to pull out of the Barcelona tournament last week.

lThe results: Vincenzo Santopadre bt Magnus Norman 6-4, 6-3; Andreas Vinciguerra bt Fernando Meligeni 6-2, 6-0; Juan Carlos Ferrero bt Sjeng Schalken 6-3, 7-5; Francisco Clavet bt Rainer Schuttler 6-1, 6-2; Greg Rusedski bt David Prinosil 6-3, 6-2; Fabrice Santoro bt Adrian Voinea 6-3, 6-4; Harel Levy bt Pete Sampras 5-7, 6-2, 4-6; Yevgeny Kafelnikov bt Andrei Pavel 7- 5, 3-1 (retd.); Wayne Ferreira bt Dominik Hrbaty 6-2, 6-4; Alex Corretja bt Carlos Moya 5-7, 7-5, 6-1; Alex Calatrava bt Andre Agassi 6-3, 6-3.

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