WIMBLEDON, England -- Andre Agassi -- not Pete Sampras -- will play the first match on Centre Court when Wimbledon opens Monday.

By tradition, the defending men's champion opens Centre Court play. But last year's winner, Goran Ivanisevic, is out following shoulder surgery, and runner-up Pat Rafter is taking a break from tennis.

Sampras, who won his record seventh Wimbledon singles title in 2000, had been expected to get the Centre Court honor.

Instead, the referee's office said Sunday that Agassi, the 1992 champion and No. 3 seed, would open against Israel's Harel Levy.

The second match on Centre Court is second-seeded Serena Williams vs. Australia's Evie Dominikovic. Sampras, who hasn't won a tournament since Wimbledon two years ago and is seeded No. 6, is up third against Britain's Martin Lee.

The decision to put Sampras back to the third match of the day could be related to his decision to pull out of an exhibition match Saturday with a back ailment.

Sampras was due to play Stefan Koubek at the Boodle & Dunthorne Championship as part of a final tuneup for Wimbledon.

But Sampras said he felt a ``slight tweak'' in his back during practice and decided not to risk further injury before Wimbledon.

Playing the third match Monday would give him a few extra hours to rest or treat his back.

Ivanisevic is the first Wimbledon men's champion not to return to defend his title since Stan Smith in 1973. Smith stayed away because of an ATP boycott.

Venus Williams, the two-time defending women's champion, will play the opening Centre Court match Tuesday against British wild card Jane O'Donoghue.

In other men's matches Monday, second-seeded Marat Safin faces former finalist Cedric Pioline on Court 1, and No. 5 Yevgeny Kafelnikov plays Dominik Hrbaty on Court 3.

Also in action are Americans Andy Roddick (vs. Bohdan Ulihrach on Court 18), Todd Martin (vs. Davide Sanguinetti on Court 13) and James Blake (vs. Mariano Zabaleta on Court 4).

Among the women, third-seeded Jennifer Capriati plays Janette Husarova in the first match on Court 1, and No. 7 Jelena Dokic is on Court 2 against Elena Tatarkova.