Tough row to hoe

Sampras faces task at French if he wants 14th major

PARIS (AP) -- Andre Agassi will face a qualifier in his first-round match at the French Open. Pete Sampras, meanwhile, found himself in a tough quarter when the draw was announced Friday.

Sampras' quarter includes top-seeded Lleyton Hewitt, two-time defending champion Gustavo Kuerten and 1998 champ Carlos Moya.

Sampras, who has gone 27 tournaments without a title since winning Wimbledon for his record 13th Grand Slam victory in 2000, faces Italian Andrea Gaudenzi in the first round at Roland Garros.

Sampras lost in the first round of clay court tournaments in Germany and Italy on his way to Paris. On the slower surface, his serve is neutralized and games require longer rallies.

Agassi, whose win at the French in 1999 gave him a career Grand Slam, won the Italian Open on clay earlier this month before withdrawing from the German Open.

In the women's draw, second-seeded Venus Williams would avoid top-seeded Jennifer Capriati and her sister Serena Williams until the final. Venus faces a potential quarterfinal against sixth-seeded Monica Seles.

Capriati, the defending champion, could meet No. 7 seed Jelena Dokic in the quarterfinals. Third-seeded Serena Williams and No. 5 seed Justine Henin, who met in the final at both the German and Italian opens, splitting the two title matches, could also meet in the quarters.

Fourth-seeded Kim Clijsters, who lost a thrilling three-setter to Capriati in the French finals last year, could face No. 8 seed Sandrine Testud in the quarters.

Other possible quarterfinal men's matchups have Hewitt against seventh-seeded Kuerten, who has three French titles overall and is on the mend from hip surgery; No. 3 Tommy Haas against 1996 champion and No. 5 seed Yevgeny Kafelnikov; Agassi, seeded-fourth, against German Open champion and No. 8 seed Roger Federer; and No. 6 seed Tim Henman meeting second-seeded Marat Safin.

American Andy Roddick, in the same quarter with Henman and Safin, meets Australian Wayne Arthurs in the opening round.

Australian Open champ Thomas Johansson, seeded ninth, opens against Franco Squillari of Argentina.

 

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