Agassi Through to Round Two

Andre Agassi thanked Wimbledon organisers for handing him the honour of opening Centre-Court play this year by walloping Isreal's Harel Levy 6-0, 6-4, 6-4.

One of only three former champions in the men's draw, it was a 51st match at the grasscourt grand slam for Agassi and there can have been few as comfortable.

Agassi tore past the hapless Levy in the opening set, crushing his spirit before the Israeli could get any ideas of giant-killing. The 89 minute match was a lesson in control.

Sweden's Thomas Enqvist had little difficulty in overcoming British wild card Arvind Parmar 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 to breeze into the second round.

Parmar's Wimbledon was all over before 1.45pm on the opening day as he was outclassed and outhit by the 14th seeded Swede.

The writing was on the wall from the start as Enqvist broke Parmar's opening two service games to go 4-0 up on his way to taking the opening set 6-1 in 22 minutes.

Parmar, 24, rallied briefly after being broken again at the start of the second set. He broke back to level at 2-2 and then broke Enqvist to lead for the first and only time to edge 3-2 ahead.

Parmar held again to go 4-3 up but Enqvist immediately hit back to break him again before serving out to win the second set 6-4.

The third set began with Parmar, who reached the quarter-final at Nottingham last week, dropping his opening service game for the third time in succession and Enqvist was comfortably in control as the rest of the match went with serve before he wrapped up an easy victory.

Enqvist will now play Australian wild card Mark Philippoussis, who overcame a rusty display to beat Julien Boutter 6-3, 3-6, 6-1, 6-2.

Earlier, James Blake became the first man to reach the second round at Wimbledon when his opponent, Argentina's Mariano Zabaleta, quit with an illness after losing the first two sets 6-2, 6-2.

Dutchman Richard Krajicek, one of only three former Wimbledon champions in the men's singles draw this year, also powered into the second round with a 6-2 7-5 7-6 victory over Franco Squillari.

Results

* 15-Andrei Pavel (Romania) beat Kenneth Carlsen (Denmark) 6-4 6-1 3-6 6-3

* Mark Philippoussis (Australia) beat Julien Boutter (France) 6-3 3-6 6-1 6-2

3-Andre Agassi (U.S.) beat Harel Levy (Israel) 6-0 6-4 6-4

Richard Krajicek (Netherlands) beat Franco Squillari (Argentina) 6-2 7-5 7-6 (7-5)

14-Thomas Enqvist (Sweden) beat Arvind Parmar (Britain) 6-1 6-4 6-4

27-Xavier Malisse (Belgium) beat Galo Blanco (Spain) 6-3 6-3 6-3

29-James Blake (U.S.) beat Mariano Zabaleta (Argentina) 6-2 6-2 retired