Paris ? Muttering, slouching, slamming his racket to the ground and smacking a ball into the stands, Pete Sampras was in typical French Open form Monday.

Which is to say: He was out of sorts for just about the entire match and, yet again, quickly out of the only Grand Slam tournament he’s never won.

When the last of his 93 unforced errors fell, Sampras had lost 3-6, 6-4, 6-2, 7-6 (3) to Italian journeyman Andrea Gaudenzi and was eliminated at Roland Garros in his opening match for the second time in three years.

Top-seeded Lleyton Hewitt and three-time champion Gustavo Kuerten managed to win in straight sets, as did Venus Williams.

At age 30, Sampras is burdened with a 28-tournament title drought that dates to July 2000, when he won Wimbledon for a record 13th Grand Slam championship.

“As you get a little bit older, as Slams go by, it’s pretty difficult to get over it,” said Sampras. “It’s not like I’m 20 and I have the next 10 years to have an opportunity. Each time one goes by, it’s one that you have to wait a year to come back and try to do it.”

He had his spots against the 28-year-old Gaudenzi, who only once has been as far as the fourth round of a major back in 1994 and is ranked 69th.

But Sampras frittered away 14 break points, put in a pedestrian 57 percent of his first serves, and managed 18 winners all day. Gaudenzi, meanwhile, whistled 19 passing shots by Sampras.

Hewitt beat Andre Sa of Brazil 7-5, 6-4, 7-5, Kuerten topped Ivo Heuberger of Switzerland 7-5, 6-2, 6-2, and Williams seeded No. 2 among women eliminated Bianka Lamade of Germany 6-3, 6-3.

Even beleaguered Australian Open champion Thomas Johansson looked good, dispatching clay-court specialist Franco Squillari 6-2, 7-6 (6), 6-2 just a few days after worrying aloud about burnout.