Moya bowed out in the third set against France's Nicolas Escude with a strained lower back muscle, robbing the tournament of the last of last year's semi-finalists.

Mark Philippoussis, who finished runner-up to Rafter last year, withdrew before the tournament even started with a knee injury. Sampras departed without hitting a ball with a herniated disc and Rafter retired in the first round against Cedric Pioline with a torn rotator cuff.

Moya won the opening game of the third set before calling it quits with Escude leading 6-1, 6-4, 0-1. Moya said he had injections before the match to stave off pain that started first at the ATP tour event in Commack last week. ``I wanted to try,'' Moya said. ``But after the second set I saw that it was no point to keep playing.''

Two other seeds remained in Agassi's quarter. Number 10Marcelo Rios of Chile advanced to the third round with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 win over Swiss qualifier George Bastl, and 15th-seeded German Nicolas Kiefer defeated compatriot Michael Kohlmann 6-3, 6-2, 6-2. Agassi created all the drama in his 6-3, 6-2, 6-1 second-round victory over supporting player Axel Pretzsch.

US Open Results

How the seeds fared

Men singles (2nd round): 2-Andre Agassi (US) bt Axel Pretzsch (German) 6-3 6-2 6-1; Nicolas Escude (France) bt 8-Carlos Moya (Spain) 6-1 6-4 0-1 (retired); 10-Marcelo Rios (Chile) bt George Bastl (Swiss) 4-6 6-3 6-2 6-3; 12-Richard Krajicek (Ned) bt Lorenzo Manta (Swiss) 6-2 6-4 6-1; 15-Nicolas Kiefer (German) bt Michael Kohlmann (German) 6-3 6-2 6-2.

Women singles (2nd round): 2-Lindsay Davenport (US) bt Ruxandra Dragomir (Rom) 6-0 6-2; 4-Monica Seles (US) bt Silvia Farina (Italy) 6-2 6-3; 5-Mary Pierce (France) bt Gala Leon Garcia (Spain) 6-2 6-3; 7-Serena Williams (US) bt Jelena Kostanic (Croat) 6-4 6-2; 9-Julie Halard-Decugis (France) btFang Li (China) 6-2 6-4; 11-Nathalie Tauziat (France) bt Maria Antonia Sanchez Lorenzo (Spain) 7-5 4-6 6-1; Magui Serna (Spain) bt 14-Sandrine Testud (France) 6-3 6-3; 16-Conchita Martinez (Spain) bt Alexia Dechaume-Balleret (France) 6-0 6-0.

Other second round results

Men singles: Vincent Spadea (US) bt Guillermo Canas (Arg) 7-5 7-6 (3) 5-7 3-6 6-3; Laurence Tieleman (Italy) bt Galo Blanco (Spain) 6-4 6-3 6-3; John van Lottum (Ned) bt Ivan Ljublcic (Croat) 4-6 7-6 (8-6) 6-3 7-6 (5); Lleyton Hewitt (Aus) bt Wayne Arthurs (Aus) 6-2 6-4 6-7 (5) 6-4; Andrei Medvedev (Ukr) bt Sebastien Lareau (Can) 6-4 6-1 6-0; Xavier Malisse (Bel) bt Cecil Mamiit (US) 3-6 6-3 6-7 (4) 7-6 (6) 6-2; Jan Kroslak (Slovak) bt Paul Goldstein (US) 5-7 6-4 6-4 6-3; Arnaud Clement (France) bt Michael Chang (US) 6-3 6-3 6-4; Justin Gimelstob (US) bt Daniel Vacek (Czech) 6-2 3-6 2-6 6-4 6-3.

Women singles: Kim Clijsters (Bel) bt Adriana Gersi (Czech) 6-3 6-2; Elena Dementieva (Rus) bt Fabiola Zuluaga (Col) 4-6 6-3 6-1; JenniferCapriati (US) bt Seda Noorlander (Ned) 5-7 6-1 6-4; Ai Sugiyama (Jap) bt Karina Habsudova (Slovak) 6-2 4-6 7-5; Angeles Montolio (Spain) bt Paola Suarez (Arg) 7-6 (5) 6-2; Sabine Appelmans (Bel) bt Samantha Reeves (US) 6-4 6-7 (5) 6-3; Amelie Cocheteux (France) bt Sylvia Plischke (Aut) 6-3 4-6 6-3; Amy Frazier (US) bt Natasha Zvereva (Belarus) 6-2 6-4.