Agassi may skip Olympics

Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2000 | 10:41 a.m.

SUN STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS

Defending gold medalist Andre Agassi of Las Vegas may remove himself from the U.S. Olympic tennis team scheduled to compete later this month in Sydney, Australia, the Washington Post reported today.

According to the Post story, Agassi wants to spend more time with his sister, Tami, and mother Betty, who have been diagnosed with breast cancer.

Telephone calls placed to Agassi's Las Vegas office seeking comment were not immediately returned.

Agassi, the top seed at the U.S. Open that concludes Sunday, was ousted in the second round last Thursday by France's Arnaud Clement. On Aug. 28, he revealed in an interview with CBS Sports' Mary Carillo that he had been having difficulty focusing on tennis because of his mother's and sister's health.

United States Tennis Association president Judy Levering told the Post that Agassi's withdrawal from the Olympics is "probable."

"He called me today and I got the impression that he was very seriously considering not coming," Levering said Tuesday night.

In the event he does not pull out, Agassi will join former Henderson resident Michael Chang, Todd Martin and Jeff Tarango in representing the U.S. in singles while Alex O'Brien and Jared Palmer are slated to play doubles.

Levering would not speculate who would replace Agassi if he decides not to play.

"We'd have to talk to the IOC and be sure to comply exactly with whatever their procedures are," she said.

Another of the world's top players, Gustavo Kuerten, won't play in the Olympics.

He has left Brazil's Olympic team following a dispute over whose uniform he would wear at the Sydney Games.

Brazil's Olympic committee insisted Kuerten wear a uniform provided by the team's sponsor -- Brazilian sportswear manufacturer Olympikus. But the player's sponsor, Italian sportswear manufacturer Diadora, insisted Kuerten use their uniform at the games.

Meanwhile, Russian Olympic and Tennis Association officials dismissed reports today that Yevgeny Kafelnikov, their country's top player, will pull out of the Sydney games.

Russian Olympic Committee spokesman Alexander Ratner said Kafelnikov has not notified the Russian team of any plans to skip the summer games. Alexander Kolivod, chairman of the Russian Tennis Association, said he had no information that Kafelnikov would pull out.

"(Kafelnikov) said himself he is in such poor shape now that there is no point in taking part in the Olympic Games," Ratner said. "He fizzled out at the U.S. Open."

Kafelnikov lost to Slovakia's Dominik Hrbaty in the third round of the U.S. Open and has not won a singles' title in 2000.