Five other big men’s shocks

LONDON: Wimbledon has witnessed some seismic shocks down the years but few could top twice champion Rafa Nadal’s elimination at the hands of Lukas Rosol, a Czech ranked 100th in the world.

Rosol won 6-7 6-4 6-4 2-6 6-4 in a three-hour battle that ended after dark and under the Centre Court roof in front of 15 000.

Nadal is in good company, because some of Wimbledon’s other greats have also suffered igno- minious exits.

Here are five other matches that shook up Wimbledon. 2002: Swiss journeyman George Bastl beats Pete Sampras.

Sampras, with seven Wimbledon trophies in his possession, endured one of the worst defeats of his career, losing 6-3 6-2 4-6 3-6 6-4 in the second round to a player ranked 145th in the world and who was a lucky loser from qualifying. American Sampras recovered to win the US Open a few weeks later before retiring. 2003: Lleyton Hewitt takes a giant beating by Ivo Karlovic.

Hewitt, the defending champion, won the first set 6-1 before unheralded Karlovic, ranked 202, wheeled out the big guns and battered the Australian into submission with a devastating display of serving.

Karlovic won

1-6

7-6

6-3 6-4 and for only the second time in the history of the event, the top-seeded male was toppled on the first day. 1987: Australian Peter Doohan beats Boris Becker.

The German top seed and twotimes defending champion seemed invincible on the Wimbledon grass but ran into 70thranked Doohan in the second round.

Boom Boom, as Becker was nicknamed, was bounced out 7-6 4-6 6-2 6-4 and Doohan earned the nickname “Becker Wrecker”. 2002: Andre Agassi humbled by Paradorn Srichaphan.

A 32-year-old Agassi, seeded three after a stunning career revival, joined old rival Sampras on the scrap heap after being dismantled by Thailand’s Srichaphan 6-4 7-6 6-2.

The second round match was all over in one hour 47 minutes. 1985: Kevin Curren beats John McEnroe.

Defending champion McEnroe had compiled an 82-3 record the previous year and was still the “Guvnor” at Wimbledon, reaching the previous five finals.

However, South African Curran proved no shrinking violet and won the last eight clash 6-2 6-2 6-4.

McEnroe was never quite the same again, failing to win another Grand Slam. – Reuters