HAMBURG, Germany -- Andre Agassi withdrew, and Pete Sampras was defeated Monday as the Tennis Masters Series in Hamburg lost two of its biggest stars within hours.

In a letter to organizers, Agassi said his victory at the Italian Open made him reconsider playing in Germany. His late pullout will cost him a $40,000 fine.

Sampras' drought stretched to 27 tournaments without a title, dating to Wimbledon in 2000, and he doesn't look like he's about to shake off the slump.

"These are the sort of matches I need to win and I am not winning them," a disappointed Sampras said.

He offered little resistance in a 6-3, 6-4 loss to Max Mirnyi. It was Sampras' second straight first-round loss on clay -- he was defeated by Felix Mantilla in the opening round in Rome.

That's certainly not a good sign before the French Open, the only Grand Slam played on clay and the only major Sampras hasn't won. The Tennis Masters Series event in Germany is a key tuneup for Paris.

"I am trying to find my game," Sampras said. "I haven't found it. It's pretty frustrating."

He lost to Mirnyi for the second straight time, after a defeat at the 2001 Stuttgart Masters Series.

Agassi, a seven-time Grand Slam tournament champion, was seeded ninth for the Hamburg tournament and had been scheduled to play Spanish qualifier David Sanchez on Tuesday.

In other action Monday, Yevgeny Kafelnikov -- the 1996 French Open champion -- lost 6-1, 6-2 to Alex Corretja. Kafelnikov has won only one match on clay this year.

Third-seeded Juan Carlos Ferrero was upset 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 by 1998 Hamburg winner Albert Costa, top-seeded Lleyton Hewitt struggled in beating German wild-card entry Philipp Kohlschreiber 7-5, 6-4, fifth-seeded Tim Henman ousted Nicolas Escude 6-4, 6-2, and No. 16 Younes El Aynaoui, winner of three clay-court titles this season, beat Fabrice Santoro 7-6 (3), 6-3.

"That was tough," Hewitt said of playing Kohlschreiber. "I didn't know how to pronounce his name let alone what he played like before this match. It is never easy to come into a situation like this -- those sorts of matches are very dangerous."

The Australian plays another German wildcard in the next round, Bjorn Phau, who beat last year's champion Albert Portas of Spain 6-4, 6-2.

Information from Reuters was used in this report.