Tennis: Andre Agassi was denied his 800th career victory yesterday and his Wimbledon preparations were thrown into disarray as the multiple grand slam champion lost to Igor Andreev 4-6 7-6 7-6 at the Stella Artois Championships.

Agassi, who has been stuck on 799 career wins since March, has now lost three matches in a row - the first time this has happened since 1997.

Fellow former Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic also departed the grasscourt tournament, beaten in the opening round by Romanian Victor Hanescu 6-7 6-4 6-4.

Mark Philippoussis followed the trend, his defeat the most surprising of all, against a Welshman ranked 849 places below him. But defending champion Andy Roddick advanced smoothly, beating Slovak Karol Kucera 7-6 6-2 in straightforward fashion.

Philippoussis, runner-up at Wimbledon last year and a former winner of the Stella Artois Championships, lost 7-6 7-6 to Ian Flanagan in one of the biggest upsets in the tournament's history.

"It doesn't matter what someone is ranked when you get out there," Philippoussis said. "I just couldn't do anything." Flanagan saw things differently. "A match like this makes you realise how good you can be," he beamed. "Hopefully I can go and have a good week."

Agassi's week is already ruined, by a Russian who has won only 14 senior matches since turning professional in 2002. Winner of 58 singles titles, including all four grand slam titles at least once, Agassi had looked to be in good shape early on against a young Muscovite who had never played on grass until this week.

But Andreev, conqueror of Juan Carlos Ferrero at the French Open last month, turned things around as Agassi could find no answer to his big groundstrokes.

Agassi bolted from Queen's Club after the loss and is facing a fine for failing to fulfil his post-match obligations. Andreev was thrilled as he left centre court, but the biggest smile of the day belonged to Flanagan.