The 19-year-old from Yugoslavia – via Australia and possibly headed for Britain – played disinterested and distracted tennis, sometimes failing to run for shots or stabbing half-heartedly at a ball.

She committed 29 unforced errors and lost her serve four times during the hour-long encounter.

“I didn‘t play well, didn‘t move so well,” Dokic said. “I just had trouble staying in points because I made too many errors. It just wasn‘t good enough. Even when I had chances, I didn‘t take them. I didn‘t play the points smart.”

Bovina, 19, advanced to the third round of a Grand Slam for the third time in her career.

The Moscow native has blossomed since Joe Giuliano became her coach in March. Bovina reached the semi-finals at Estoril and won her first WTA Tour title in Warsaw.

“I just tried to make a lot of balls, especially at the beginning of the match, make her play,” Bovina said.

“I guess she just couldn‘t quite find her game. She made a lot of errors. I don‘t know what‘s the reason for her playing that way. Obviously, it‘s not my problem. I just try to play my game.”

Third seed Tommy Haas of Germany almost followed Dokic out the early exit door but rallied for a 7-6 (7/1) 3-6 3-6 6-4 7-5 triumph over David Sanchez of Spain.

Haas‘ injured right arm manage to hold up through the three-hour, 23-minute match, but both players received medical treatment.

Showing some of his old form, four-time champion Pete Sampras dispatched Albert Portas of Spain, 6-1 6-4 6-4, in a first-round match.

At number 17, Sampras has his lowest Grand Slam seeding. If it were not for last year’s extension of the seeds to include 32 players, Sampras would not be seeded here, something that has not happened since 1989.

The 31-year-old American has reached the final here the last two years but was beaten soundly by younger foes.

He has not won a tournament since capturing his record 13th Grand Slam crown at Wimbledon in 2000, a span of 33 events.

“I‘m still putting a lot of working into it, a lot of focus; it‘s been a pretty disappointing year,” said Sampras, who was runner-up at Houston in May.

“It‘s been a disappointing year. I have nothing to show for it. I can‘t dwell on that at the moment. I have to look at the future, not the past. I just have to believe in myself and hope I can do pretty well here.”

On the women‘s side, top seed Serena Williams of the United States advanced to the third round with a 6-0 6-1 win over Russian teenager Dinara Safina.

Williams is trying to win her third consecutive Grand Slam and become the first woman to capture three major titles in the same year since 1997.

But she was looking to notch her first double-bagel victory (6-0 6-0), something that sister Venus and Jennifer Capriati did on Tuesday.

“I did try,” Serena Williams said. “But she played a good game – a few good games. Next time, maybe. I used to do it all the time in the Juniors, but I haven‘t been able to do it yet.”

Despite the lopsided score, Williams was impressed with Safina‘s game.

“I thought she was a good player. She‘s only 16. I don‘t think I was around when I was 16. She has lots of power. I think she will be a really good player. She‘s a very nice girl, which really matters most. That‘s a big plus.”

In other second-round matches, number eight Justine Henin of Belgium topped Zimbabwe‘s Cara Black 6-3 6-2; Francesca Schiavone of Italy eliminated 12th seed Elena Dementieva of Russia 7-6 (9/7) 6-3; and 13th seed Silvia Farina Elia of Italy defeated Belgium‘s Els Callens 6-2, 6-2.

However, rain interrupted the evening programme, including number 11 Daniela Hantuchova’s battle with Virginia Razzano and fourth-seeded Lindsay Davenport’s match against Petra Mandula of Hungary.

American 25th seed James Blake’s encounter with Nikolay Davydenko of Russia did not even make it onto the court before the rain began.