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Au revoir, Andre Top seed Agassi shocked by Kucera in second round
Posted: Friday June 02, 2000 11:52 AM
PARIS (AP) -- Defending French Open champion Andre Agassi, hobbled by a blistered big toe, limped out of the tournament with a stunning second-round loss Thursday. Karol Kucera won 16 of the final 17 games to upset the top-seeded Agassi 2-6, 7-5, 6-1, 6-0. The near-capacity crowd on center court, which included Agassi's girlfriend, Steffi Graf, watched in stunned silence. Agassi was so disappointed by the defeat that he left Roland Garros without talking to reporters, which left him subject to being fined. "He's not taking it well," said his coach, Brad Gilbert 'He's very upset." Agassi controlled the match early and led 5-3 in the second set before two blisters on the big toe of his right foot began to bother him. Agassi requested a trainer at 5-4, Gilbert said, but didn't receive treatment until falling behind 4-1 in the third set.
Gilbert said the blisters tore open and Agassi couldn't move, even after he had the toe taped. "We put our heart and soul into all of this and just get bad luck sometimes," Gilbert said. As the match progressed, Agassi occasionally winced in pain and became increasingly erratic with his shots. On break point in the opening game of the fourth set, he didn't try for a shot by Kucera down the line. Agassi won only six points in the final set and finished with 60 unforced errors. After hitting a service return into the net on match point, he waved to the crowd and signed autographs before walking off the court. The loss ends his run of four consecutive Grand Slam finals, a feat last achieved by Rod Laver in 1969. Agassi was trying to become the first man to win consecutive French Open titles at Roland Garros since Sergi Bruguera in 1993-94. Agassi planned to return to his home in Las Vegas. Gilbert said he hopes the blisters will heal in about a week, well before Wimbledon starts June 26. Kucera came into the tournament with just three wins in seven years at Roland Garros, and he's 65th in this year's ATP champions race. But he's now 2-0 in Grand Slams against Agassi, including a five-set upset at the 1998 U.S. Open. This time Kucera started slowly, double-faulting on break point twice in the first set. But he served better after that and became more aggressive with his groundstrokes, keeping the ball deep and making Agassi move. "The first two sets, he's got the match in his hands," Kucera said. "I was lucky to get back, actually, in the second set." The upset left No. 3 Magnus Norman as the top remaining men's seed. Moments after Agassi's defeat, Norman completed a 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 win over Fabrice Santoro. "I'm playing the best tennis of my life," Norman said. No. 2 Pete Sampras lost in the first round to Mark Philippoussis. The top American in the women's tournament, No. 2 Lindsay Davenport, lost Wednesday. Top-seeded Martina Hingis drew jeers again at Roland Garros following a brief display of temper, then regained her composure and won cheers for beating qualifier Julia Abe 6-4, 7-5. In the first set, Hingis dumped an easy volley into the net to lose a game, then smacked the net cord with her racket in anger. The crowd on Court 1 hooted and whistled as she walked to her chair. That was Hingis' only fit of anger, and the crowd politely applauded her the rest of the way. Last year fans booed when she blew a lead and threw a tantrum in the final against Graf. "People so far have been very nice to me," Hingis said. "It was a good match, long rallies, good points. For sure I hope it made them happy. That's what we're there for. We're kind of the entertainers." Third-seeded Monica Seles won the first nine games and beat Emmanuelle Gagliardi 6-0, 6-1. No. 14 Anna Kournikova lost to Sylvia Plischke 6-2, 4-6, 6-3. No. 4 Venus Williams beat Tamarine Tanasugarn 6-2, 6-2. Dominique Van Roost, who upset Davenport, lost to Marta Marrero 0-6, 7-5, 7-5. In other men's play, No. 6 Cedric Pioline of France beat unseeded Patrick Rafter 7-6 (7-5), 6-3, 6-4. No. 14 Dominik Hrbaty lost to Agustin Calleri 6-7 (2-7), 6-1, 6-4, 6-4.
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