Agassi Makes Painful Exit Russian, Hip Injury Ruins Bid For Third Consecutive Grand Slam Title

Things were supposed to be different for Andre Agassi at the French Open this year.

Ranked No. 1 in the world, winner of two straight Grand Slam titles, his way made easier when second-ranked Pete Sampras became a first-round loser, all was going right for the American who dresses like a pirate and tracks down tennis balls like a panther.

Agassi stretched his Grand Slam winning streak to 18 straight matches as he moved through the first four rounds without losing a set. His attitude was good. His body was sound.

All that ended Tuesday. Plagued by a painful hip and a powerful opponent, Agassi again was stopped in the tracks of his black shoes by the red-clay jinx of Roland Garros stadium.

Unable to push off on his right hip from the third or fourth game of the opening set, Agassi fell in the quarterfinals to Russia’s Yevgeny Kafelnikov 6-4, 6-3, 7-5.

Agassi was gone again from the Grand Slam tournament he was supposed to win so many times but the only one he never has conquered. Gone, too, were the chances for a third straight Slam title.

“You come here to play well, to give it everything,” Agassi said. “For it to end like that is extremely disappointing.”

The win was extremely satisfying for Kafelnikov, who reached his first Grand Slam semifinal.

“He might be injured. but it’s no excuse in the quarterfinal of the French Open,” Kafelnikov said. “I was just going for every shot, and Andre knew he was under pressure.”

In the semis, the ninth-seeded Kafelnikov plays Thomas Muster, a 6-2, 3-6, 6-7 (8-6), 7-5, 6-2 winner over Alberto Costa.

In today’s quarterfinal matches, it’s defending champion Sergi Bruguera vs. Renzo Furlan and 1989 champ Michael Chang vs. Romanian qualifier Adrian Voinea.

For the second year in a row, the men’s semis is without the top four seeded players. Muster is seeded fifth.

While the men battled on red clay at Center Court, the women completed their quarters on Court A, with the favorites winning easily.

Top-seeded and defending champ Arantxa Sanchez Vicario beat Chanda Rubin 6-3, 6-1; second-seeded Steffi Graf defeated Gabriela Sabatini 6-1, 6-0; fourth-seeded Conchita Martinez beat Virginia Ruano-Passcual 6-0, 6-4; and ninth-seeded Kimiko Date defeated Iva Majoli 7-5, 6-1 to become the first Japanese women to reach the final four.

In Thursday’s semis, it’s Sanchez Vicario vs. Date and Graf vs. Martinez.

Agassi took a 3-minute injury timeout after the third game of the second set and went into the locker room with Bill Norris, the ATP trainer. He also treated Agassi during the next couple of changeovers for the strained right hip.

“It was a very sharp, excruciating pain when I pushed off on it,” Agassi said. “I couldn’t move very well to the right, I couldn’t really go for the serve as it got worse.”

Agassi said he felt the hip strain as he slid for a shot on the soft clay surface. He was surprised when the pain persisted.

“I kind of kept waiting for it to ease up,” he said. “I didn’t call the trainer until I was convinced it was getting worse.”

Kafelnikov, 21, played down Agassi’s injury and credited his own good play for the victory.

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: FRENCH OPEN Winners: Russia’s Yevgeny Kafelnikov, ninth-seeded, upset top-seeded Andre Agassi to advance to the semifinals with fifth-seeded Thomas Muster, who beat Alberto Costa of Spain. In the women’s quarterfinals, top-seeded Arantxa Sanchez Vicario defeated Chanda Rubin of the United States; second-seeded Steffi Graf breezed past Gabriela Sabatini, seeded eighth; fourth-seeded Conchita Martinez beat Virginia Ruano-Pascual of Spain; and ninth-seeded Kimiko Date advanced by defeating Croatia’s Iva Majoli, seeded 12th. A look ahead: In the men’s quarterfinals, two-time defending champion Sergi Bruguera plays Renzo Furlan of Italy and 1989 champion Michael Chang, seeded No.6, meets Romanian qualifier Adrian Voinea. Quote of the day: “It was a very sharp, excruciating pain when I pushed off on it.” - Andre Agassi, describing the hip strain he blamed for his straight set loss to Kafelnikov. “He might be injured, but it’s no excuse in the quarterfinal of the French Open.” - Kafelnikov after beating Agassi.