▁had ▁originally ▁been ▁un se eded , ▁but ▁as ▁the ▁ 1 7 th ▁ranked ▁player ▁in ▁the ▁W im ble don ▁seed ings ▁he ▁replaced ▁ 7 th ▁seed ▁Thomas ▁M uster ▁in ▁the ▁draw , ▁when ▁M uster ▁with d rew ▁shortly ▁before ▁the ▁start ▁of ▁the ▁tournament . ▁P ete ▁Sam pr as ▁was ▁the ▁three - time ▁def ending ▁champion ▁but ▁lost ▁to ▁K raj ice k ▁in ▁the ▁quarter final s , ▁in ▁his ▁only ▁loss ▁at ▁W im ble don ▁between ▁ 1 9 9 3 ▁and ▁ 2 0 0 0 . ▁ ▁For ▁the ▁first ▁time ▁since ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 0 ▁French ▁Open , ▁none ▁of ▁the ▁semif inal ists ▁had ▁previously ▁won ▁a ▁Grand ▁S lam ▁title . ▁Of ▁these ▁four , ▁Tod d ▁Martin ▁reached ▁the ▁Grand ▁S lam ▁final ▁before . ▁ ▁A ▁number ▁of ▁high - se eded ▁men ▁were ▁elimin ated ▁early , ▁including ▁ 1 9 9 2 ▁champion ▁Andre ▁Ag ass i ▁( No . ▁ 3 ), ▁reign ing ▁French ▁Open ▁champion ▁Y ev gen y ▁K af eln ik ov ▁( No . ▁ 5 ), ▁Michael ▁Ch ang ▁( No . ▁ 6 ), ▁and ▁ 1 9 9 3 ▁final ist ▁Jim ▁Cou rier ▁( No . ▁ 9 ), ▁all ▁in ▁the ▁first ▁round . ▁Three - time ▁champion ▁Bor is ▁Be cker , ▁seed ed ▁no . ▁ 2 , ▁was ▁elimin ated ▁in ▁the ▁third ▁round ▁when ▁he ▁with