It’s a 1-2 Knockout in Desert : Tennis: Courier falls to Chesnokov and Sampras loses to Hlasek. Chang advances.

So, Jim Courier, what’s the mood under that baseball cap of yours?

“I feel tired right now.”

And what kind of day did you have, Pete Sampras?

“Pretty frustrating.”

For producing tennis angst, there may be nothing quite like hitting the exits in the third round of a $1-million tournament in which you happen to be one of the top two players.

On a sunny Thursday at Hyatt Grand Champions, Courier kept his winless streak intact against Andrei Chesnokov and lost, 6-4, 7-5, and Sampras fell to Jakob Hlasek, 6-4, 3-6, 7-5, after once serving for the match.

All in all, it was not a great day for the Americans. The last one of 15 who began the tournament is Michael Chang, the only one of five U.S. players who won Thursday.

Chang pulled out a 6-3, 6-7 (7-4), 7-6 (7-4) victory over Richard Krajicek, surviving one match point and a potentially severe case of windburn in the form of a 132-m.p.h. serve that secured the second set tiebreaker for Krajicek.

It was not a serve, but something smaller that decided the Sampras match. It ended when his half-volley trickled over the net and bounced wide, although neither he nor Hlasek was sure if the ball was actually in or out.

“The next thing I know, I turn around and the chair umpire has called the end of the match,” Sampras said.

He quickly decided on his next course of action: “I was out of there.”

Courier was already gone, although he did not leave without his No. 1 ranking. The 36th-ranked Chesnokov, who faces Emilio Sanchez next, hastened Courier’s departure with a two-pronged attack that featured relentless ground strokes and an utter disregard of Courier’s ranking.

“In one way, yeah, it is big upset maybe for crowd,” Chesnokov said. “Because No. 1 tennis player lost here to guy who is No. 36.

“For me . . . when I play against him I have much confidence against Jim Courier.”

In the meantime, Courier’s grip on the No. 1 ranking is getting a little shaky--only 33 computer points separate him from No. 2 Stefan Edberg.

Courier’s results have been on a descending scale since he became No. 1 a month ago in San Francisco, where he lost in the final. He also lost in the final at Brussels, the quarterfinals at Stuttgart and now the third round.

Courier blamed fatigue from an exhaustive early-season schedule for his performance against Chesnokov. When he was asked about the pressure of the No. 1 ranking, Courier said he has grown tired of that question, too.

“It’s funny how you guys seem to harp on, focus on negative points,” he said. “God, isn’t it great to be No. 1? Nobody asks me that. It’s the old case of build a guy up and try to knock him off the hill.”

Courier certainly seemed tired against Chesnokov, often knocking his usually reliable forehand outside the doubles lines. Courier reserved most of his punch for his postmatch news conference.

A sampling:

Q: Is there something in Chesnokov’s game that bothers you?

A: Maybe.

Q: Is he your primary nemesis?

A: There’s too many guys to have just one.

Q: But he’s the only one to have beaten you five times.

A: Obviously he’s had some good success.

Q: Anything unusual about his style?

A: Could be.

After answering another question, Courier said under his breath: “Could I be any more vague?”

The significance of Courier’s defeat was entirely clear. It was the first time since May, 1991, that he had not reached the fourth round of a tournament.

Last year’s champion had two chances in the second set to turn the match around. Chesnokov, a mop-haired Russian baseliner who leans meanly into his two-fisted backhand, saved three break points in the fourth game to hold serve. Courier evened the match at 5-5 when he broke Chesnokov, who was attempting to serve out the match.

But Courier wilted in the 11th game. He double-faulted to 15-30, fought back to force four deuces, then hit a high forehand volley long and a backhand into the net to give Chesnokov another chance to serve for the match.

This time, Chesnokov converted, although Courier helped out. Two forehand errors made it 30-0 and when Courier’s easy backhand made it halfway up the net, Chesnokov held three match points. Courier saved one with an overhead winner, but had nothing left.

As soon as his low forehand volley hit the net, Courier’s defeat was complete.

“I’ve been sharper,” Courier said.

So has Andre Agassi, the 10th-seeded player, who was beaten by seventh-seeded Sanchez, 6-3, 6-1. After starring in consecutive three-set escape acts against unseeded Jaime Yzaga and qualifier Bernd Karbacher, Agassi said he had nothing left for Sanchez.

“From the first game, my legs were shot,” he said. “Whether it was the two nervous matches or my training, whatever it was, I wasn’t able to pay the price out there physically.”

Michael Stich had no such problems with Derrick Rostagno, won easily, 6-2, 6-4, and headed for the golf course. With Courier and Sampras out of the way, the third-seeded player’s path to the final looks a lot more navigable.