Paris, France (Sports Network) – Former champion Andre Agassi was unable to overcome Finnish lefthander Jarkko Nieminen and a painful lower back in Tuesday’s first-round action at the French Open. Agassi’s fellow American Andy Roddick avoided an upset in the bottom half of the men’s draw by advancing in straight sets on Day 2.
The sixth-seeded Agassi led two-sets-to-one before a back problem slowed his progress mightily amid chilly and windy conditions on Court Chatrier.
Nieminen won 12 of the final 13 games to post a 7-5, 4-6, 6-7 (6-8), 6-1, 6-0 decision. It appeared as though Agassi might retire from the match, but the American star decided to play it out and give Nieminen the clean victory.
After the match, Agassi said he “just couldn’t walk off the court.” He’s never retired in 263 Grand Slam matches and has only retired 11 times in 1,106 career bouts
Agassi said he had a cortisone shot to relieve a painful nerve situation in his back a few months ago, but the pain was just too much for him to overcome on Tuesday.
“The nerve in my back started getting inflamed and sending pain all the way down my leg, and it was getting worse by the minute,” Agassi said. “Something tells me I’m at the stage of my career where I’m going to be living with these injections.”
It marked the 35-year-old Agassi’s second straight opening-round loss against a qualifier at Roland Garros, as the legendary American bowed out at the hands of little-known Frenchman Jerome Haehnel here a year ago.
Agassi suffered his third career first-round loss in Paris, with the first one coming in 1998. It was his ninth first-round setback in his new Open Era- record 58 Grand Slam appearances.
The eight-time major champion Agassi completed his career Grand Slam with a victory here in Paris in 1999. He joined Don Budge, Fred Perry, Rod Laver and Roy Emerson as one of only five men to win all four majors.
Agassi was the back-to-back French Open runner-up in 1990 and 1991.
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