Spaniard gives Sampras a spanking

Ossian Shine

Pete Sampras suffered more disappointment at the French Open on Thursday, losing 7-6, 6-3, 6-2 to Spain's Galo Blanco in the second round to leave his Grand Slam collection incomplete for another year.

The winner of a record 13 Grand Slam titles again struggled to come to grips with the slow Parisian clay and failed to put together back-to-back wins at Roland Garros for the fourth successive year.

"It's very frustrating, I knew what I had to do in that match and I just have to give him credit," the fifth-seeded American said.

"He came out with some clean passing shots. He had me on my heels and dictated all the baseline points. He just played better than I did - plain and simple."

However, third seed Andre Agassi had things his way while beating France's Julien Boutter 6-3, 6-2, 6-2.

Women's top seed Martina Hingis, who also needs a French title to complete her Grand Slam collection, fared better, dropping only her second game of the tournament as she crushed Catalina Castano 6-1, 6-0 to move into the third round of the $9.6 million tournament.

The Swiss was joined in the last 32 by sixth seed Serena Williams, who eased through with a confident 6-0, 7-5 victory over Slovenian qualifier Katarina Srebotnik.

Sampras needed five sets to beat little-known Frenchman Cedric Kauffmann in the first round and looked weary on an overcast Centre Court.

IMPERIOUS FORM

Blanco, who himself has never achieved much success in Paris, bowing out in the opening round in four of his five previous visits, was never troubled by the man many rank as the best to play the game as he brushed Sampras aside in just a little over two hours.

One of only two players to beat Spanish number four seed Juan Carlos Ferrero, one of the tournament favourites, on clay this season, Blanco will take on Germany's Lars Burgsmuller in the third round.

Hingis was once again in imperious form.

She marched through the first set in just 25 minutes, clinching it with a deft backhand drop shot.

The second set, which lasted just 17 minutes, was even more of a procession as Hingis hardly gave her bemused opponent a chance.

"I just love this court," she said of the Suzanne Lenglen arena. "I have never lost on it. I wish they would let me play the final here."

Hingis, runner-up in 1997 and 1999, will meet Rachel McQuillan or Jill Craybass next.

BASELINE POWER

Serena Williams, younger sister of world number two Venus, was never tested in the opening set by her 20-year-old opponent, who is ranked 138th in the world.

Srebotnik improved markedly in the second set and led 5-4 before succumbing to the American's power from the baseline.

Williams, who is concentrating on the singles after pulling out of the doubles with her sister following Venus's surprise first-round singles exit, will next face Germany's Barbara Rittner or Hungarian qualifier Zsofia Gubacsi.

The American was critical of her performance, though, and is demanding improvement.

"I couldn't stop making mistakes, it was actually disappointing, upsetting," she said. "I think I got too confident and I let my opponent back into the match. I'm going to work on that in the next round."

Last year's runner-up and eighth seed Conchita Martinez also advanced, the experienced Spaniard overcoming Slovakia's Daniela Hantuchova 7-6, 6-4.

In early men's action, 10th seed Sebastien Grosjean of France eased through to the third round by crushing Norway's Jan Frode Andersen 6-2, 6-2, 6-2.

Number 16 seed Franco Squillari of Argentina also won, overcoming a slow start to beat Swede Andreas Vinciguerra 2-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-1.

Third seed Andre Agassi takes on France's Julien Boutter later, while second seed Marat Safin continues to kick-start his season with a match against Spain's Alex Calatrava.