Four Seeded Men Get Mowed Down

On the opening day of Wimbledon, the grass is always greener.

Which, in its own singular way, may explain some of Monday’s upsets. Tennis’ most unpredictable surface is at its least predictable before the blades are bent and the turf is scuffed beyond the repair of Wimbledon’s platoon of groundskeepers.

Most players remarked on the conditions, and certainly the losers mentioned it during Monday’s discombobulated first day of play.

In addition to the loss by Andre Agassi, three other seeded players were eliminated:

--Clay-court specialist Alberto Costa of Spain defeated sixth-seeded Michael Chang, 3-6, 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (7-1), 6-4.

--Doubles specialist Jonathan Stark defeated eighth-seeded Jim Courier, 6-2, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4.

--Alexander Radulescu of Germany defeated 15th-seeded Arnaud Boetsch of France, 6-3, 6-4, 6-7 (7-2), 5-7, 9-7.

Bucking the trend, some seeded players did advance. Top-seeded Pete Sampras started slowly but defeated Richey Reneberg, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-3; second-seeded Boris Becker defeated Jean-Philippe Fleurian, 6-0, 6-2, 6-3; second-seeded Monica Seles defeated Ann Grossman, 6-1, 6-2, and third-seeded Conchita Martinez defeated Silvia Farina, 6-0, 6-0.

The courts were playing fast on a cool and mostly cloudy day. Centre Court was the slickest and most pampered.

The rest of the courts are used throughout the season by the members of the All England Club. Centre Court is torn up after the men’s final and reseeded. No one plays on it except the few players during Wimbledon.

All the courts are greener and faster on the first day. The groundskeepers keep the grass slightly longer, in anticipation of two weeks worth of trampling. For a day or two, the courts are smooth and divot-free.

Sampras, reaching for a poetic allusion, called the conditions on Centre Court “plush.” Of course, for the defending champion, they usually are.

Chang wasn’t as comfortable against Costa, who had never won a grass-court match.

“My serve was kind of on and off,” Chang said. “I was only getting a couple of first serves in. I did have quite a few opportunities to break, but I just wasn’t able to convert.”

Courier fell to Stark’s excellent serving and aggressive play. Courier noted his loss and Chang’s and said neither was shocking.

“For Michael and myself, these courts are pretty much an equalizer in the early rounds,” he said.

*

Seventh-seeded Chanda Rubin withdrew because of a wrist injury. . . . Stefan Edberg, playing in his last Wimbledon, won a difficult first-round match against Guy Forget, 7-6 (7-5), 5-7, 6-2, 6-2.