LONDON, June 23: American star Andre Agassi has been handed the honour of opening the 2002 Wimbledon Championships on Monday - ten years after he clinched his one and only title here at the All England Club.

The 32-year-old third seed, winner in 1992, opens play on Centre Court against Israel’s Harel Levy at 1300 local time (1200GMT) in a break from tradition caused by the absence through injury of reigning champion Goran Ivanisevic and last year’s runner-up Pat Rafter, who is in semi-retirement.

It had been expected that seven-time winner Pete Sampras would be first on court but he requires more time to recover from a back injury he picked up during an exhibition tournament last week.

Sampras, seeded six this year and without a title to his name since he triumphed here in 2000, will be third on Centre Court taking on Britain’s Martin Lee in the first round.

Women’s French Open champion Serena Williams of the United States, the second seed, is sandwiched between the Agassi and Sampras matches with her opening clash against Evie Dominikovic of Australia.

Agassi said recently that he enjoyed playing Wimbledon and that the three years when he chose not to play the Grand Slam event, from 1988-90, were now a thing of the past.

“There’s a great appreciation of the sport in England,” said Agassi.

Sampras’s preparations have been hampered by a back injury picked up during practice for an exhibition match on Saturday and he will be glad of the extra time before his opening match.

Sampras felt a twinge in his back just before he was due to play Stefan Koubek of Austria in an exhibition tournament in Stoke Poges in southern England.

He pulled out of the event rather than risk serious injury but he is expected to be fit to face Lee, ranked 94 in the world.

Australian Open champion Jennifer Capriati, the second seed from the United States, opens play on Court One against Janette Husarova of Slovakia with the second seed in the men’s event Marat Safin of Russia facing veteran French player Cedric Pioline.

There will also be an emotional appearance on Court Three where 1996 champion Richard Krajicek, who missed the entire 2001 season with an elbow injury, takes on Franco Squillari of Argentina.

Venus Williams, the women’s champion here for the last two years and now the world number one, opens her campaign on Tuesday against British wild card Jane O’Donoghue.—AFP