Hingis falls at the first

The tennis world of Martina Hingis was once again blown to smithereens yesterday.

Doubts had followed the computer-ranked world number one over her status as the best player in the game after her exit in Paris two weeks ago. Not having won a Grand Slam event since 1999, Hingis, so anxious to prove that she merited the pre-eminent position in tennis, again unravelled here, 6-4 6-2, in 65 minutes in the first round to the unknown Spanish player Virginia Ruano Pascual.

Hingis now goes into the record books as the first number one seed to be twice eliminated in the first round of Wimbledon in the Open era and only the third player ever to do so. The last time the Swiss player left after day one was two years ago when she was beaten by Jelena Dokic, also on court one.

Only favourites Margaret Smith in 1962 and Steffi Graf in 1994 have made as early an exit, Graf memorably departing to American Lori McNeil 7-5 7-6(5).

The Hingis defeat clearly had more to do with her ragged game than the brilliance of the 83rd-ranked player in the world, who did, however, hold admirable composure and play a testing game to cause the first major upset of the competition.

In the aftermath a philosophical Hingis complained of an injured back for which, she claimed, she had been receiving acupuncture.

But the excuse was seen as lame in some quarters, given that she had been pictured on Saturday in British tabloids juggling a football to promote a clothes sponsor.

"I wasn't really able to practise last week that much," said Hingis. "I had a little tendonitis in my back, my lower back. I was more or less only able to play from, like, standing. In the match you have to move around and that's a little more difficult.

"It seems like I do really well here or I lose first round. Like I said, two, three days ago I didn't know exactly if I was going to come here at all. I tried. I did everything I could. I had acupuncture in my lower back. It got better but still it was too short a recovery time to really heal it. Also practice, I mean you have to practise before Wimbledon."

Hingis was forced into the back court for most of the match from where she was unable to control much. Given that her usually reliable forehand was spraying the ball wildly and her fragile volleys failed every time until 5-1 down in the second set, she really stood little chance.

For the romantics, it was both uplifting to watch the unknown Ruano Pascual triumph on such a stage and dismaying to watch as talented a figure as Hingis utterly at odds with her game. The last three games were torturous. They were like a condemned fighter looking for a swift end.

The Spaniard, however, was in no mood to suffer excuses that appeared to diminish her achievement.

"I didn't see Martina before the match. I didn't know she was injured. She run on the court, she served, she do everything. I just play. She says she's injured, I'm sorry for her, but..."

The vanquished Hingis, who will remain the world number one regardless of who wins here, walked off court just as Jennifer Capriati began her press conference. Capriati, who is seeking a Grand Slam, having won both the Australian and French Open championships, advanced 6-3 6-2 against unseeded Maria Vento after a typically uncertain start.

On her way up again as Hingis soul-searches, Capriati now has a much easier run to the quarter- and semi-final stages. The bottom half of the draw contains the big-hitting Lindsay Davenport, Venus Williams and Amelie Mauresmo, who play today.

Given Capriati's colourful background, little now surprises her, not even the Hingis collapse. "No. I'm not surprised," she said. "You don't expect anyone to win these days.

"You don't expect anyone to lose. Each match is different. Every tournament is different. It's not always about you anymore either, it depends on your opponent."

For Serena Williams, who despatched Rita Kuti Kis 6-1 6-0 without stopping to draw breath, the opponent didn't really figure.

The fifth seed took just 18 minutes out of the afternoon for the first set in a processional display of power and dominance.

She was not alone. Belgian teenager Justine Henin advanced with the same scoreline against Sarah Pitkowski. Henin, the eighth seed, has now bettered her previous best Wimbledon run, which was losing in last year's first round.