Chang falls at the first

FOR Pistol Pete it was fairly standard, first round stuff. Hopelessly outgunning his opponent, the world's number one came out blasting, and for Mikael Tillstrom there was only ever going to be one outcome.

Not that the Swede's expectations could have extended far beyond going out with his head held high. Sampras has held his spot at the top of the ranking list since 1993 with just the sort of game that wins matches at Wimbledon and it was the American's many strengths - his big serve, speed around the court and gift for improvisation - that helped him sweep into the second round with a well deserved 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 victory.

The manner in which the three-time champion took the match was a clear sign that he is capable of regaining this title. His chances were further enhanced as a string of big names, including Michael Chang, Mark Philippousis and French Open champion Guslavo Kuerten, fell at the first hurdle.

Of the three, Chang made the most enthralling exit, with the 25-year-old twice battling back from a set down against Australia's Todd Woodbridge, and then completing a third revival by coming from five games to one down in the decider.

At that stage it seemed that the fifth seed's momentum would carry him on to win, but Woodbridge, who had twice squandered the opportunity to wrap things up on his service, displayed more character than the American expected at 5-5, digging his heels in for a scrap.

"I think when a player knows you have been involved in a lot of five sellers over your career and done well in them, it plays on their mind, and I thought it would play on Todd's mind out there this evening," said the world number two afterwards. "We had a five set match ourselves here before and I won that, so once I got back level at that stage I thought I had a pretty good chance.

In fact, Chang had won 11 of the pair's 13 previous encounters, while Woodbridge, whose other appearances on centre court - against Stefan Edberg, Pat Cash and Sampras - had all ended in defeat. This one bucked the trend for both men, however, with Chang's increasingly positive approach suddenly beginning to look more like recklessness as Woodbridge rediscovered the art of passing.

The Australian broke to love in the 13th game in the set and completed his opponent's second successive first round defeat here in the next, recovering from an initial double fault to take the next four points in a row to round off a marvellous 7-6, 3-6, 6-2, 3-6, 8-6 victory.

Woodbridge's compatriot, Philippousis, meanwhile. fared less well with the big-serving seventh seed getting a highly popular taste old his own medicine from British number two Greg Rusedski in a match carried over from Monday.

When the pair returned yesterday Rusedski already led by two sets, both of which went to tie breaks, and three games to one. That break proved to be enough for the local favourite.

Philippousis threatened to cancel out the advantage only once, in the eighth game when his opponent twice double faulted. On that occasion, however, Rusedski made amends with two aces as he came from 15-40 down to hold without a further hitch.

Like Philippousis, Kuerlen had to take the court yesterday hoping to dig himself out of a hole that had been partially excavated the day before. But, after coming from two sets behind to level things up with a tremendously determined display, the French Open winner faded at the end of the fifth against the highly-rated 20-year-old American, Juslin Gimelstob, who scored the one break of service he required in the 10th game to take the match.