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Agassi makes fast departure

Mariana Diaz-Oliva of Argentina serves during her first-round match against player Ashley Harkleroad of the US during the French Open at Roland Garros, Paris, Monday. PHOTO: EPA

Now that he has beaten Andre Agassi, Jerome Haehnel figures he'll keep playing tennis. Might as well, since he's into the second round of the French Open.

At 23, Haehnel has contemplated retirement, but that was before he pulled off one of the biggest upsets in Grand Slam history Monday. A qualifier playing his first tour-level match beat the winner of eight major titles, 6-4, 7-6 (4), 6-3.

With no coach, a distaste for flying and a ranking of No. 271, Haehnel came to Roland Garros on the verge of calling it a career.

"I've thought about it," the Frenchman said. With a smile he added, "Now maybe I will go on."

The question is how long the 34-year-old Agassi will go on, and whether he'll return for a 17th appearance at the French Open next year.

"Hard to say," the 1999 champion said. "I don't know. It's a year away, and that's a long time for me right now. The chances get less every year, that's for sure."

The oldest man in the tournament, Agassi looked it. He was lethargic and tentative, especially on the biggest points.

"I probably got what I deserved," he said.

Agassi's defeat was by far the biggest upset on the opening day, but there was other drama.

Fellow American Vince Spadea overcame a 5-1 deficit in the fifth set and nine match points to beat Florent Serra of France. Ninth-seeded Tim Henman rallied from two sets down to defeat Cyril Saulnier. And Vladimir Voltchkov edged Radek Stepanek 11-9 in the fifth set.

On the women's side, Justine Henin-Hardenne returned from a six-week layoff and began her bid for a second successive French Open title by beating Sandrine Testud 6-4, 6-4.

The imposing Russian contingent started 6-0, including victories by No. 8 Nadia Petrova and No. 10 Vera Zvonareva. Also advancing were third-seeded Amelie Mauresmo, France's best hope, and No. 5 Lindsay Davenport.

There were two seeded losers: No. 24 Jelena Dokic and No. 27 Elena Daniilidou.

Second-seeded Andy Roddick overcame an upset stomach to eliminate fellow American Todd Martin 7-6 (5), 6-4, 7-5. Roddick had lost in the opening round the past two years.

Other winners on the men's side included No. 3 Guillermo Coria and No. 5 Carlos Moya, the 1998 champion. Three seeded men were eliminated: No. 6 Agassi, No. 16 Fernando Gonzalez and No. 18 Mark Philippoussis.

Agassi was bidding for his 800th match victory, but instead Haehnel (pronounced eh-NEL) improved to 1-0 lifetime. The Frenchman closed out his victory with his third ace, then walked impassively to the net to shake hands with Agassi, showing the same poise he displayed throughout the match.

Naehnel finally cracked a smile after Agassi left the court to a big ovation.

"He's my favorite player," Haehnel said. "I was trying not to be overimpressed."

With aging legs, Agassi sought to help his chances at Roland Garros by preserving his energy with limited preparation. So he arrived after playing just one clay-court match, a loss last week in Austria to Nenad Zimonjic, a qualifier ranked 339th.

That result gave Haehnel hope.

"I spoke with many friends, and they told me I can win against him," Haehnel said. "He lost one week ago against a guy like me, a simpleton. A bad guy, a bad player."

Haehnel turned pro in 1998. His success has been modest in part because he prefers tournaments near his home in eastern France.

"It's true. I hate traveling," he said. "When you have to go to the other end of the world, it's difficult."

So he sent Agassi packing instead.

Martina Navratilova's return to Grand Slam singles after a 10-year absence is generating plenty of talk -- not all of it positive.

Amelie Mauresmo thinks a young French player should have received the wild card that organizers gave Navratilova, 47.

``We're lucky enough to have a Grand Slam in our country. Obviously, we want French players to get priority,'' the third-seeded Mauresmo said Monday after beating Ludmila Cervanova 6-3, 6-3.

"I think the tournament hoped Martina would create more of an event and would probably attract more people," said Mauresmo, France's top player. "It's obvious that this penalizes the young French players."

Still a top doubles player, Navratilova asked for a singles wild card at the French Open this year, which she has said will be her last on tour.

In her first singles match at a major since 1994, Navratilova faces teenager Gisela Dulko of Argentina on Tuesday. Navratilova won the French Open in 1982 and 1984, two of her 18 Grand Slam singles championships.

Mauresmo said she and Navratilova have talked tennis on several occasions but not much came of it.

"She has a very rigid way of looking at things. That didn't suit me very well," Mauresmo said.

FERRERO'S DECISION

After a practice session Monday, defending champion Juan Carlos Ferrero planned to play in the French Open despite a rib injury, Spanish tennis federation spokesman Pedro Hernandez said.

Ferrero, scheduled to play his first-round match Tuesday against Tommy Haas, said Sunday there was a 60 percent chance he would withdraw.

Tournament spokesman Christophe Proust said organizers hadn't heard from Ferrero on Monday, and they assumed he was waiting until Tuesday to make his final decision.

Ferrero bruised his right ribs in a fall May 8 while practicing in Spain.

WAY OUT THERE

It doesn't get much farther from Center Court at Roland Garros than Court 17.

It was there, in the hinterlands of the vast 20-court complex, that Alex Corretja of Spain played his first-round match. Is that any way to treat a two-time French Open finalist?

"I'd prefer to play on a better court," Corretja said after beating Jan-Michael Gambill of the US 6-1, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2. "It was very distracting, there were people walking around all the time, I could hear car horns beeping."

Corretja has slipped to 97 in the ATP rankings from a career best of No. 2 in 1999.

"I'm obviously not one of the favorites right now from a ranking point of view," said the Spaniard, who reached the finals here in 1998 and 2001. He was a semifinalist in 2002.

"My main motivation is to win," Corretja said, shrugging it off. "I can't say to myself, `I won't play my best because they put me on Court 17.'"

SLUMP CONTINUES

Mark Philippoussis is stuck in a rut. The two-time Grand Slam runner-up's dismal start to the year continued with a 6-1, 7-6 (9), 6-3 loss to Luis Horna of Peru. It means the Australian has won eight of his 20 matches in 2004.

The slump began in February at the Davis Cup, when defending champion Australia lost its first-round clash with Sweden. Philippoussis lost both his singles matches in straight sets and carried the burden of defeat.

The big-server, a finalist at Wimbledon last year and the 1998 US Open, lost his next five matches -- at Dubai, Indian Wells, Miami, Rome and Hamburg.

In last year's French Open, he knocked out current World No. 1 Roger Federer in the first round.

SICK CALL

To the list of injured players sitting this one out, add Dutchman Sjeng Schalken and American Chanda Rubin.

Both pulled out ahead of first-round matches Tuesday, No. 15 Schalken because of a viral infection and Rubin, seeded 13th, with a recurring knee problem.

Rubin injured her left knee at the Pan Pacific Open in February in Tokyo. Tzipora Obziler of Israel will take Rubin's place in remaining first-round matches Tuesday, while Lee Hyung-taik of South Korea will replace Schalken.

Earlier, Kim Clijsters, the 2001 and 2003 French Open runner-up, pulled out because of tendinitis in her left wrist, while Mardy Fish withdrew with a hip injury.
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