NEW YORK, SEPT 1: Pat Rafter's bid for a third straight US Open title was brought to a premature end by injury, hours after Pete Sampras' bid for Grand Slam immortality similarly skidded to a halt.Sampras, the world No 1 and top seed, rocked the tournament yesterday morning when he withdrew with a herniated disc suffered while practising on Sunday.Hours later, under the floodlights last night, a hurting Rafter retired after dropping his serve in the first game of the fifth set against France's Cedric Pioline.The Frenchman, a two-time Grand Slam finalist was leading 4-6, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5, 1-0 when fourth seed Rafter walked to the net and told him he couldn't continue the 1st-round match.Sampras' injury was frightening enough to make his decision less agonising, even though he had been hoping to capture his 13th Grand Slam singles title, eclipsing the record of 12 set by Australian great Roy Emerson and matched by Sampras with his triumph at Wimbledon last month.``I felt something go,'' Sampras said. ``Like I was stabbed by a knife. It scared me. No question it scared me.''Sampras' place in the draw was taken by lucky loser Mikael Tillstrom of Sweden, who will play Russian teenager Marat Safin today.Since Wimbledon, Sampras had been burning up the US hardcourts until he was stopped by an injury in Indianapolis less than two weeks ago. But the strained hip flexor he suffered in his quarter-final there had nothing to do with his back injury.Rafter withdrew before his quarter-final at Indianapolis with the same shoulder tendinitis. He thought he had it licked as he prepared for his bid to become only the third man in the open era to win three straight US Open titles.`It's a sharp pain,'' he said. ``Only on the serve. Every now and then maybe on a big serve of Cedric's, especially on the backhand side it will jar. But it's really on contact of the serve is where I feel it.''It appeared that Sampras' departure could ease Rafter's path. The two were seeded to meet in the semis for the second straight year.Three of the top six men's seeds are now out. No sooner had Sampras' withdrawal been announced than England's No 6, Tim Henman, lost 6-7 (1-7), 4-6, 3-6 to unseeded Guillermo Canas (Argentina).Number five Gustavo Kuerten was the highest seed left in the top half, followed by No 7 Todd Martin. Kuerten advanced with a 6-4, 6-4, 6-3 victory over Czech Bohdan Ulihrach.Martin squeaked into the second round with a 6-4, 6-3, 6-7 (2-7), 6-7 (5-7), 7-6 (7-3) win over French qualifier Stephane Huet.American Lindsay Davenport launched her defence of the women's title with a 6-0, 6-3 victory over compatriot and doubles partner Corina Morariu.She was joined in the second round by fourth seed Monica Seles, who steamrolled German Barbara Rittner 6-1, 6-1 and fifth-seeded Frenchwoman Mary Pierce, who beat Yugoslav Sandra Nacuk 6-3, 7-5. Seventh seed Serena Williams followed elder sister Venus, the third seed, into the second round with a 6-1, 6-0 victory over Kim Po.
