Reuters
London, Jul 2: With blown kisses and a sad smile, Andre Agassi bade Wimbledon farewell on Saturday after losing to a ruthless Rafael Nadal in the third round.
The 36-year-old's defeat was no great surprise, unlike that of two other Americans, women's champion Venus Williams and men's third seed Andy Roddick.
Williams lost in three sets to Serbian Jelena Jankovic and Roddick, the runner-up in 2004 and 2005, was beaten in three sets by unseeded British teenager Andy Murray in the two biggest shocks of the tournament so far.
Double French Open champion Nadal made no allowance for sentiment in a 7-6 6-2 6-4 victory on the Centre Court where Agassi won the first of his eight grand slam titles 14 years ago.
The Las Vegan retires from tennis after the US Open and he said: "To say goodbye, for me, this means as much as winning. It's been a lot of incredible years, I'll never be able to repay you for how you embraced me."
Jankovic, the 26th seed, reached the fourth round of a grand slam for the first time with a 7-6 4-6 6-4 victory over three-times champion Williams on court two.
"There are definitely some things I could have done better but I think she played well," said a downcast Venus
Murray, the 19-year-old who is shouldering British hopes of a first men's champion in 70 years, outplayed Roddick in a 7-6 6-4 6-4 victory on Centre Court.
The Scot rubbed his eyes in disbelief after earning a place in the fourth round of a grand slam for the first time.
"That's got to be my best win," said the world number 44. "I knew I had a little chance but I wasn't expecting to beat him in three sets."
Roddick's defeat meant there are no Americans left in the fourth round of the men's singles for only the second time in the professional era.
On a scorching day in southwest London men's fifth seed Ivan Ljubicic and number 10 Fernando Gonzalez both suffered five-set defeats.
Fulminating strokes
Agassi, one of only five men to have won all four grand slam events in his career, tried everything to prolong his final visit to the All England Club.
Time has caught up with him, though, and he could not contain 20-year-old Nadal's fulminating groundstrokes on the court where he won the first of his eight grand slam titles.
The Spaniard produced an astonishing forehand pass and an ace to snatch the first set tiebreak after Agassi had led it 5-2.
From that point on Nadal dominated in a display that proved the claycourter is a genuine contender for the grasscourt grand slam.
"It's unbelievable for me to play the last match with Andre, one of the best players in history," said second seed Nadal. "Today I played my best match on grass so I am very happy."
Russian Dmitry Tursunov recovered to win from two sets down for the first time in his career when he upset Ljubicic 5-7 4-6 6-1 7-6 6-2. Tursunov, who reached the fourth round last year, also saved a match point in the fourth set tiebreak.
Seventh seed Mario Ancic kept Croatian interest alive when he completed a four-set win over Switzerland's Stanislas Wawrinka in a match that started on Centre Court on Friday and finished on court one on Saturday.
Spain's David Ferrer reached his first Wimbledon fourth round when he too fought back from two sets down to beat Gonzalez 4-6 2-6 6-2 6-3 6-4.
Ferrer next faces Australian sixth seed Lleyton Hewitt, the 2002 champion who swept through with a 6-1 6-4 6-4 defeat of Belgian Olivier Rochus.
Women's top seed Amelie Mauresmo and Russia's Maria Sharapova, the 2004 champion, are yet to drop a set after easy wins on Saturday.
France's Mauresmo demolished 33-year-old Australian Nicole Pratt 6-1 6-2 and Sharapova was an assured 6-3 6-2 winner over American Amy Frazier.
Her compatriot, seventh seed Elena Dementieva, equalled her best Wimbledon performance by reaching round four with a 7-5 6-3 win over fellow Russian Elena Likhovtseva.
American Mardy Fish retired from his match against Georgia's Irakli Labadze due to a stomach upset after losing the first set 6-2. Labadze, the first Georgian to reach the fourth round since Alex Metreveli in 1976, faces Nadal next.