Agassi Now First-Round Pushover For Pushovers Falls In Opener In 6 Of 8 Tournaments This Year

It’s starting to become routine for Andre Agassi. He enters a tournament and exits after one round.

He’s gone that route six times in eight tournaments this year, humbled by the likes of Justin Gimelstob, Doug Flach, Scott Draper and Javier Sanchez.

Two years ago, when Agassi was the Australian Open champion, and three years ago, when he won the U.S. Open, none of those players would have posed a challenge.

“It’s been frustrating, but I’m committed to this road now and I’m going to go down it,” Agassi said after losing 7-5, 6-2 to Gimelstob in the first round of the Infiniti Open on Monday night. “I’m not going to allow this to set me back. I refuse to.”

Losing to Gimelstob, ranked 103rd in the world, likely will drop Agassi even further from the No. 32 spot he holds this week. The mounting losses have cost Agassi the confidence that supported his flashy game.

“There’s not much more to lose there,” he said. “It’ll take awhile to prove that I can beat these guys day in and day out again. It’s a grind and you’ve got to pay the price and do it.”

The real indication of how low Agassi’s faith has sunk was his admission that he can’t expect to win these days. Such a comment would have been out of the question a few years ago.

“There’s no joy in losing,” he said. “But I’m not looking for joy, I’m looking to work. It’s something that’s important to me.

“If I get myself back to where I can be and start making solid progress, I think that’s where I’m going to find the excitement. But right now it’s going to work and trying to get things firing.”

Agassi’s best showing came at San Jose in February when he lost in the semifinals. A wrist injury kept him out of the French Open and Wimbledon. He’s played just two matches - both losses - in three months.