Former champion Agassi was handed the honour of opening the tournament on the Centre Court of the All England Club in the absence of last year’s champion Goran Ivanisevic.
Ivanisevic was represented by his father Srdjan in the Royal Box after the Croatian star was advised not to travel after recent shoulder surgery.
And 32-year-old third seed from Las Vegas did himself proud by advancing to the second round 6-0, 6-4, 6-4 against Israeli outsider Harel Levy under sunny skies.
The American dropped his serve just once, in the final set as he tried to clinch the match, and there was a slight sense of rust in his groundstrokes.
But when he clicked into gear, Agassi was devastating, recording a high percentage of aces, not usually seen as one of the 1992 champion’s strengths.
Levy was hardly able to put any pressure on his opponent’s serve, creating just one break point in the entire match, until Agassi tried to rush things off.
Agassi goes on to meet either Paradorn Srichaphan of Thailand or Jack Brasington of the United States in the second round.
He was followed on court by newly-crowned French Open champion and second seed Serena Williams who saw off 103-ranked Australian Evie Dominikovic 6-1, 6-1.
Former US Open champion Williams, bidding for her third Grand Slam title after ending the three-year drought at Roland Garros, goes on to meet either Petra Mandula of Hungary or Francesca Schiavone of Italy.
Over on Court One, Australian Open champion Capriati, the women’s third seed, similarly dispatched Janette Husarova of Slovakia 6-1, 6-4.
Capriati, on a quest for her fourth Grand Slam title, goes on to meet Marta Marrero in the second round after the Spaniard ousted Alina Jidkova of Russia 6-0, 7-6 (7/5).
But she warned against people thinking that the title was hers or the Williams’ for the taking.
Husarova, ranked 41 in the world, rallied in the second set to break serve and lead 3-1 before the American broke back to keep her dream of lifting the Wimbledon crown for the first time on track.
Meanwhile last year’s quarter-finalist Thomas Enqvist, the 14th seed, dashed British hopes when he unceremoniously dispatched wildcard Arvind Parmar 6-1, 6-4, 6-4.
Enqvist meets Australian Mark Philippoussis who got past Julien Boutter of France 6-3, 3-6, 6-1, 6-2.
Rising American star James Blake, the 29th seed, booked his second round spot when Argentine opponent Mariano Zabaleta retired, after losing the first two sets to the American 6-2, 6-2.
Results (prefix number denotes seeding):
MEN’S (FIRST ROUND):
6-Pete Sampras (U.S.) beat Martin Lee (Britain) 6-3 7-6 (7-1) 6-3
Alberto Martin (Spain) beat Stefano Galvani (Italy) 6-4 7-6 (7-3) 6-4; 11-Andy Roddick (U.S.) beat Bohdan Ulihrach (Czech Republic) 6-1 3-1 retired; Jan-Michael Gambill (U.S.) beat Nicolas Massu (Chile) 6-3 7-6 (11-9) 6-3; Paradorn Srichaphan (Thailand) beat Jack Brasington (U.S.) 6-4 6-3 3-6 5-7 6-4; Barry Cowan (Britain) beat Attila Savolt (Hungary) 6-7 (3-7) 6-3 6-3 6-3; Nicolas Kiefer (Germany) beat Juan Balcells (Spain) 6-3 2-6 5-7 7-5 6-3; Taylor Dent (U.S.) beat 21-Max Mirnyi (Belarus) 4-6 6-4 7-6 (7-3) 6-4; 2-Marat Safin (Russia) beat Cedric Pioline (France) 7-6 (9-7) 6-2 6-3; Fernando Gonzalez (Chile) beat 19-Juan Ignacio Chela (Argentina) 6-3 3-6 1-6 7-5 6-3; George Bastl (Switzerland) beat Denis Golovanov (Russia) 6-4 6-2 7-6 (7-5); Wayne Arthurs (Australia) beat Michael Russell (U.S.) 6-4 6-4 6-3; Karol Beck (Slovakia) beat Alexandre Simoni (Brazil) 6-7 (3-7) 4-6 7-6 (7-5) 6-2 6-2; Vince Spadea (U.S.) beat Magnus Larsson (Sweden) 3-6 7-6 (7-4) 6-7 (2-7) 6-4 6-1; 12-Jiri Novak (Czech Republic) beat Fernando Meligeni (Brazil) 2-6 6-0 6-4 6-4; 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
WOMEN: 13-Meghann Shaughnessy (U.S.) beat Lucie Ahl (Britain) 6-2 6-2; Francesca Schiavone (Italy) beat Petra Mandula (Hungary) 6-4 6-3; Greta Arn (Germany) beat Irina Selyutina (Kazakhstan) 6-4 6-3; Maja Matevzic (Slovenia) beat Julie Pullin (Britain) 6-7 (4-7) 6-1 6-4; 18-Anastasia Myskina (Russia) beat Eva Dyrberg (Denmark) 2-6 6-1 7-5; 8-Sandrine Testud (France) beat Anca Barna (Germany) 6-7 (3-7) 6-4 6-1; 21-Tatiana Panova (Russia) beat Anna Kournikova (Russia) 6-1 4-6 6-4; 2-Serena Williams (U.S.) beat Evie Dominikovic (Australia) 6-1 6-1; 22-Anne Kremer (Luxembourg) beat Gala Leon Garcia (Spain) 6-4 6-4; 11-Daniela Hantuchova (Slovakia) beat Cristina Torrens Valero (Spain) 6-3 6-2; Mary Pierce (France) beat Alicia Molik (Australia) 6-4 4-6 8-6; 3-Jennifer Capriati (U.S.) beat Janette Husarova (Slovakia) 6-1 6-4; Els Callens (Belgium) beat Barbara Schwartz (Austria) 3-6 6-4 6-2; Marlene Weingartner (Germany) beat Natasha Zvereva (Belarus) 4-6 6-3 6-2; Laura Granville (U.S.) beat 31-Nicole Pratt (Australia) 7-5 7-5; Marta Marrero (Spain) beat Alina Jidkova (Russia) 6-0 7-6 (7-5); Selima Sfar (Tunisia) beat Kristina Brandi (U.S.) 6-3 6-3; 30-Clarisa Fernandez (Argentina) beat Ludmila Cervanova (Slovakia) 6-3 6-3; 26-Daja Bedanova (Czech Republic) beat Seda Noorlander (Netherlands) 6-1 6-2—Reuters