The only doubles in Andre Agassi's immediate future will involve fatherhood, not tennis.
Wife Steffi Graf is expecting the couple's second child, dashing any prospect of her playing mixed doubles with her husband this week at the French Open.
PHOTO: REUTERS
"It's amazing the lengths she'll go to not to play," Agassi joked.
PHOTO: REUTERS
So for Agassi at Roland Garros, it'll be all singles -- seven matches' worth, he hopes. The 1999 champion opened with a win Monday over Karol Beck, 6-2, 6-3, 6-3.
Agassi had played only one other time in the past four weeks, and that was a stunning loss to David Ferrer in the first round at Rome. He showed little evidence of rust against Beck but expects to play better as the tournament progresses.
"Once I get a match or two, I feel like then I'll be in position for the distance," he said. "It's always going to be a bit precarious starting a tournament, especially this one."
Roger Federer, Paradorn Srichaphan and Alex Corretja can testify to that. All were upset on the first day.
The No. 5-seeded Federer lost in the opening round for the second year in a row, this time to Luis Horna, 7-6 (6), 6-2, 7-6 (3).
Paradorn, seeded 10th, was eliminated by Dominik Hrbaty 6-4, 3-6, 6-0, 7-5. Corretja, a two-time runner-up at Roland Garros, lost to Galo Blanco 5-7, 6-3, 6-0, 7-5.
There were no comparable upsets on the women's side. Defending champion Serena Williams extended her Grand Slam winning streak to 29 consecutive matches, and No. 4-seeded Justine Henin-Hardenne and No. 5 Amelie Mauresmo also advanced.
In January, Agassi raised the possibility of forming a thirtysomething dream team with Graf at Roland Garros, where she won six singles. Graf has shunned the spotlight since retiring in 1999, and Agassi acknowledged in February that he was having trouble persuading her to be his doubles partner.
On Monday, Agassi said they practiced together after the Australian Open.
"She definitely would have loved to play," he said. "Part of her frustration was the sort of perception that anything other would be the case ... Maybe one day it will really happen."
But he also said: "She hasn't played in three years. It would have been a difficult challenge for her anyhow. ... Now, expecting our second child, it's literally an impossibility."
Agassi disclosed last week that Graf was pregnant. The couple had a son in October 2001, and Agassi said they don't know whether their next child will be a boy or girl.
Seeking his ninth Grand Slam title at age 33, Agassi is the oldest player among the 128 entrants in the men's field. But he's seeded second, physically fit and the reigning champion of the year's first major event at Australia.
"I'm here because I believe I can win," he said. "I feel a lot younger on the court than I do off the court. When I'm out there on the court, I feel good. When I'm off the court, and I'm carrying around my little baby, and I'm pulling all the hair out of my ear, I feel old."
Agassi entered the French Open 11 times before winning it. Federer is now 0-for-5 at Roland Garros and has yet to reach a Grand Slam semifinal.
The stylish Swiss player has lost in the first round at three of the past five major events. Monday's defeat was especially surprising because he leads the men's tour this year with 38 match victories.
"It's a big disappointment," Federer said. "Very sad to leave so early. I should have played better."
Alex Corretja found consolation in his first-round loss: The upset came against Spanish compatriot Blanco.
"Thinking about him, it's a great win," said Corretja, runner-up at Roland Garros in 1998 and 2001 and a semifinalist last year. "At least one of us is going back to the hotel happy. The other one is going back home sad."
If the Wild finally break through and win their first playoff series in a decade, Minnesota’s top line likely will be the reason. They were all over the Golden Knights through the first two games of their NHL Western Conference quarter-finals series, which was 1-1 going back to Minnesota for Game 3 today. The Wild tied the series with a 5-2 win on Tuesday. Matt Boldy had three goals and an assist in the first two games, while Kirill Kaprizov produced two goals and three assists. Joel Eriksson Ek, who centers the line, has yet to get on the scoresheet. “I think the biggest
Bologna on Thursday advanced past Empoli to reach their first Coppa Italia final in more than half a century. Thijs Dallinga’s 87th-minute header earned Bologna a 2-1 win and his side advanced 5-1 on aggregate. Giovanni Fabbian opened the scoring for Bologna with a header seven minutes in. Then Viktor Kovalenko equalized for Empoli in the 30th minute by turning in a rebound to finish off a counterattack. Bologna won the first leg 3-0. In the May 14 final in Rome, Bologna are to face AC Milan, who eliminated city rivals Inter 4-1 on aggregate following a 3-0 win on Wednesday. Bologna last reached the
From a commemorative jersey to a stadium in his name, Argentine soccer organizers are planning a slew of tributes to their late “Captain” Pope Francis, eulogized as the ultimate team player. Tributes to the Argentine pontiff, a lifelong lover of the game, who died on Monday at the age of 88, have been peppered with soccer metaphors in his homeland. “Francisco. What a player,” the Argentine Football Federation (AFA) said, describing the first pope from Latin America and the southern hemisphere as a generational talent who “never hogged the ball” and who showed the world “the importance of having an Argentine captain,
Noelvi Marte on Sunday had seven RBIs and hit his first career grand slam with a drive off infielder Jorge Mateo, while Austin Wynn had a career-high six RBIs as the Cincinnati Reds scored their most runs in 26 years in a 24-2 rout of the Baltimore Orioles. Marte finished with five hits, including his eighth-inning homer off Mateo. Wynn hit a three-run homer in the ninth off catcher Gary Sanchez. Cincinnati scored its most runs since a 24-12 win against the Colorado Rockies on May 19, 1999, and finished with 25 hits. Baltimore allowed its most runs since a 30-3 loss to
RSS