They Get Comfortable at Wimbledon

The tournament started to feel like a therapy session, or even a talk show, a few hours into Wimbledon 2002, what with all the inspirational stories about overcoming injuries and producing chances for reinvention.

You could take your pick Monday. There were a former Wimbledon champion Richard Krajicek, an almost champion Mark Philippoussis, and a struggling seven-time champion Pete Sampras.

Sampras, seeded No. 6, spoke about his recent travails after a 6-3, 7-6 (1), 6-3 first-round victory over lightly regarded British left-hander Martin Lee. Sampras saved two set points in the second. He faced 19 break points--saving 18--the most he has confronted at Wimbledon.

His recently injured back--he hurt it Saturday getting off a massage table--held up adequately, and he said it was “not going to be an issue.”

Hoping to give his back another day’s rest, Sampras had requested a Tuesday start, but officials were unable to grant it. Still, he was assisted by being put on third on Centre Court.

“It was nice to play today on Centre Court,” he said. “It felt good. It has been a pretty difficult year. Stepping out there, it was like coming home again.”

The injury and Sampras’ recent on-court struggles raised the issue of his vulnerability. The 30-year-old cracked a couple of jokes at his own expense.

“I felt like I was moving pretty well for an older guy,” he said.

Later, when asked whether he was taking anything for his back pain: “I’m always on medication, can’t you tell?”

He paused and then said, smiling, “Rogaine.”

His injury problems are nothing, though, compared to those of Krajicek and Philippoussis. Krajicek, of the Netherlands, beat Franco Squillari of Argentina, 6-2, 7-5, 7-6 (5), in what was only his second singles match since November of 2000 after being sidelined because of right elbow surgery.

About six weeks ago, he could play only half an hour or so before the pain recurred.

“That was the moment I started talking to my coach, ‘OK, we have to set the D-day now,’ ” Krajicek said. “ ‘When are we going to make a decision, not only for Wimbledon but also for my career?’ ”

Australia’s Philippoussis, who missed last year’s Wimbledon because of an injury, has had three operations on his left knee. He joined Krajicek and Sampras in the second round, by defeating Julien Boutter of France, 6-3, 3-6, 6-1, 6-2.

“A few years ago, I would have taken a lot of things in my life for granted,” he said. “Now I look at life in a totally different perspective. When I was on the court, I was young. I never thought anything was going to go wrong. I was having fun. I thought, ‘There’s a lot of years ahead of me.’ ”

Another youngster was in reassessment mode too. Taylor Dent defeated hard-serving Max Mirnyi, seeded No. 21, of Belarus, 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (3), 6-4, scoring his first victory since an indoor event in Memphis last winter.

Dent has a new coach, Australian Paul Kilderry and a new haircut.

“I put in a bad mental effort at Queen’s [a pre-Wimbledon tournament], and [Kilderry] said, ‘Either cut your wrists or cut your hair. Pick!’ ” Dent said.

Besides Sampras and Dent, six other American men advanced, among them No. 3 Andre Agassi, who played the first match on Centre Court. Because defending champion Goran Ivanisevic is not playing, Sampras had been scheduled to open, but his back injury changed things. Apparently, Ivanisevic, who had recent shoulder surgery, was told by his doctor not to travel, and his father was on hand to represent him Monday.

“I thought we were going to have a moment of silence for him,” Agassi said, joking, of last year’s champion.

No. 11 Andy Roddick and James Blake had short days. Both of their opponents defaulted in the second sets because of illness.

On the women’s side, No. 2 Serena Williams dropped only two games against Evie Dominikovic of Australia, winning, 6-1, 6-1, and No. 3 Jennifer Capriati beat Janette Husarova of Slovakia, 6-1, 6-4.

In one of the bigger surprises, Saori Obata of Japan defeated No. 24 Alexandra Stevenson, 6-1, 6-3. Stevenson was a semifinalist here three years ago, and Saori was only 1-6 in 2002 before Wimbledon.

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Big Day for U.S.

Players from the United States went 13-5, including 8-2 on the men’s side. A look at how the Americans fared on the first day Monday:

U.S. men’s winners: Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras, Andy Roddick, Todd Martin, Vince Spadea, Taylor Dent, James Blake, Jan-Michael Gambill.

U.S. men’s losers: Michael Russell, Jack Brasington.

U.S. women’s winners: Serena Williams, Jennifer Capriati, Meghann Shaughnessy, Chanda Rubin, Laura Granville.

U.S. women’s losers: Alexandra Stevenson, Kristina Brandi, Lilia Osterloh.