Pete Sampras reacts to losing a point while being knocked out in the second round. AP

Sampras takes early exit

PARIS (AP) - Pete Sampras failed yet again on the red clay courts of Roland Garros, falling to Spain's Galo Blanco 7-6 (4), 6-3, 6-2 Thursday in the second round of the French Open.

The defeat ended Sampras' 12th quest for the one Grand Slam tournament title that continues to elude him.

"It's very frustrating," Sampras said.

In the final game, Sampras wasted four break points against Blanco, who is ranked 76th in the world. The Spaniard closed out the match when the fifth-seeded Sampras buried his last forehand into the net.

Hitting the soles of his shoes in frustration, Sampras made 21 unforced errors and served eight double faults during the match.

The serve-and-volley specialist never looked comfortable on the slow red clay, whereas Blanco dominated in the long rallies.

"I have to give (Blanco) credit," Sampras said. "He just played better than I did, he played really great. All the baseline shots he was dictating."

Sampras, 29, has won a men's record 13 Grand Slam tournament titles, but has never gotten past the semifinals at Roland Garros. He lost in the first round last year.

He hasn't won any tournament since Wimbledon nearly a year ago.

Sampras narrowly escaped a humiliating first-round defeat to French qualifier Cedric Kauffmann on Tuesday, saving three match points on his way to the five-set victory.

He has won only three matches on clay in the past year, including his victory over the 250th-ranked Kauffmann.

Andre Agassi had no such problem Thursday, breezing through his second-round match against Frenchman Julien Boutter 6-3, 6-2, 6-2.

He blew kisses and bowed as the crowd showered him with applause and girlfriend Steffi Graf looked on from the stands.

Agassi, seeded third, won the title in 1999.

Another American, Serena Williams, also advanced, overcoming a steady rise in unforced errors to beat Slovenian qualifier Katarina Srebotnik 6-0, 7-5.

Her pink dress clashing with the red clay, the sixth-seeded Williams shut out her opponent in 19 minutes in the opening set.

She struggled through the next, producing 25 of her 31 unforced errors, then closed out the match with a searing crosscourt forehand.

"I couldn't stop making mistakes," Williams said. "It was actually disappointing, upsetting that I would behave in that manner."

Top-seeded Martina Hingis made light work of her second-round match, defeating Colombia's Catalina Castano 6-1, 6-0 in 42 minutes.

"I felt like I was always in control," Hingis said. "That's always a good feeling to have in a Grand Slam."

Last year's runner-up Conchita Martinez also advanced in straight sets Thursday, beating Slovakia's Daniela Hantuchova 7-6 (4), 6-4. She is seeded eighth this year.

No. 10 Sebastien Grosjean cruised to a 6-2, 6-2, 6-2 win over Norwegian qualifier Jan Frode Andersen, and No. 16 Franco Squillari lost his opening set before recovering to defeat Sweden's Andreas Vinciguerra 2-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-1.