Jul 2, 2006 6 min read

WIMBLEDON, England (AP) – First, a tearful Andre Agassi bowed out of Wimbledon for the final time. Then, defending women’s champion Venus Williams departed. Two-time finalist Andy Roddick soon joined them as light faded on Centre Court in a stunning day of upsets Saturday at the All England Club.

By the end of the first week, only one American was left in the men’s and women’s singles at Wimbledon – Shenay Perry, who is ranked 62nd and has advanced to the fourth round.

Playing in his 14th Wimbledon before retirement later this year, the 36-year-old Agassi couldn’t keep up with the relentless power of 20-year-old Rafael Nadal and fell 7-6 (5), 6-2, 6-4.

In a bigger surprise, three-time champion Williams fell to Jelena Jankovic of Serbia 7-6 (8), 4-6, 6-4. With sister Serena out injured, there will be no Williams in the Wimbledon final for the first time since 1999. The sisters have won five of the last six titles.

“It definitely feels really weird,” Venus said.

Finally, third-seeded Roddick – runner-up the last two years to Roger Federer – was dumped in straight sets by Britain’s Andy Murray, 7-6 (4), 6-4, 6-4.

Roddick served 21 aces but was outplayed by Murray, a 19-year-old Scotsman who has replaced Tim Henman as Britain’s best hope of a first homegrown champion since Fred Perry in 1936.

Murray saved 11 of 12 break points and converted three out of 12 break points against Roddick. Murray also had 35 groundstroke winners, nearly twice as many as Roddick.

Roddick’s ouster means no U.S. men have reached the fourth round for only the second time since 1922. The other time was in 2002. American men are used to struggling on clay at the French Open, but not on the grass at Wimbledon.

“It is a lot more surprising, disappointing when it is here, a place that we’ve all had a lot of success,” Roddick said.

Roddick has struggled since reaching last year’s Wimbledon final. He lost in the first round of the U.S. Open, the fourth round in Australia and retired with an ankle injury in the first round of the French.

“There’s just that intangible quality right now, that edge that’s not there,” he said. “That’s what I’m searching for.”

Murray, meanwhile, is enjoying his first trip to the fourth round of a Grand Slam.

“I’m not used to being around the locker room when there’s only 16 people left,” he said. “It’s much quieter.”

For one last time, Agassi stood in the middle of the court after the match and blew kisses and bowed to all corners of the arena. Then, in a break with Wimbledon tradition, he addressed the crowd by microphone to say goodbye.

“It’s been a lot of incredible years here,” Agassi said, wiping away tears. “I’ll never be able to repay you for how you’ve embraced me over the years and I thank you for that. … You guys are awesome tennis fans, you have shown me so much love.”

Then Agassi took his bag, stopped to sign a few autographs and gave a final wave as he walked off the most famous court in tennis.

Among those in the crowd was his wife, Steffi Graf, a seven-time Wimbledon champion who sat in the Royal Box along with other tournament winners and sports champions.

“It’s been a privilege to be out there again for one last time,” Agassi said. “I’ll look back at this as one of my most memorable experiences. For me, this means as much as winning, saying goodbye.”

Agassi said he’ll miss the Wimbledon crowds and atmosphere more than anything.

“This was a place that first taught me to respect the sport, to really appreciate the opportunity and privilege it is to play a game for a living, to play tennis,” he said. “Whether they’re queuing up on the outside or sitting with their umbrellas on Centre Court, it’s quite a love for the sport. That’s what separates this from every other event.”

Williams lost on Court 2, known as the “Graveyard of Champions” for its history of major upsets. Others who have lost on that court include Serena Williams, Jimmy Connors, John McEnroe and Pete Sampras.

Williams had 50 winners, but hurt her chances with 12 double-faults and 54 errors. The 21-year-old Jancovic, who reached the final of a Grand Slam for the first time, had 27 winners and 21 errors.

The match slipped away from Williams when she double-faulted three times in a row and was broken at love to go down 5-3. With Jankovic serving for the match, Williams broke back for 5-4. But Williams couldn’t hold in the next game, saving three match points before double-faulting again to set up a fourth. She ended the match with a forehand into the net.

“At the end I was just so nervous,” Jankovic said. “The racket felt like (it weighed) 30 pounds. I was just telling myself to hang in there and hopefully I will pull it out.”

Williams said she had pain in her left wrist, but didn’t blame that for the defeat.

“I had some opportunities out there, but unfortunately she played some good tennis,” she said. “I think against a player like me she feels maybe she has nothing to lose.”

In other matches, 2002 champion Lleyton Hewitt, seeded No. 6, cruised into the fourth round with a 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 win over Belgium’s Olivier Rochus.

Fifth-seeded Ivan Ljubicic of Croatia squandered a two-set lead and was upset by Russia’s Dmitry Tursunov 5-7, 4-6, 6-1, 7-6 (6), 6-2. He’s the second-highest seeded player ousted so far, following No. 4 David Nalbandian’s exit Friday.

Nadal will next face Irakli Labadze of Georgia, who advanced when Mardy Fish retired because of illness after losing the first set 6-2.

In women’s play, top-seeded Amelie Mauresmo beat Australia’s Nicole Pratt 6-1, 6-2. No. 4 Maria Sharapova, the 2004 champion, swept into the fourth round with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Amy Frazier, playing in her 18th Wimbledon. Two other Russians – No. 7 Elena Dementieva and No. 9 Anastasia Myskina – also won in straight sets.

Nadal, the two-time French Open champion, transferred his clay-court baseline game to the grass of Centre Court to reach the fourth round of Wimbledon for the first time.

It marked the changing of the guard, with the popular American leaving the All England Club stage for good and Nadal making his breakthrough on the fast surface. Nadal had just turned 6 when Agassi won the first of his eight Grand Slam titles at Wimbledon in 1992.

“He is one of the best players,” Nadal said to the crowd. “I want to congratulate Andre. He is unbelievable. Today I played for sure my best match on grass.”