Agassi rust-free in first round of French Open

Steven Wine

Tuesday, May 27, 2003 | 10:10 a.m.

PARIS -- 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.

"It's amazing the lengths she'll go to not to play," the Las Vegan said jokingly.

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 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.

TODAY'S ACTION: Defending champion Albert Costa was one game from a straight-set defeat before he rallied to beat an exhausted Sergio Roitman 6-7 (3), 2-6, 7-5, 6-2, 6-2. Roitman has won just one match on the men's tour, but the Argentine led 5-4 in the third set before Costa came back. The No. 9-seeded Spaniard avoided becoming the first French Open defending champ to lose in the first round since the Open Era began in 1968. It's the first time he has won after dropping the first two sets.

In women's play, No. 2-seeded Kim Clijsters, No. 6 Lindsay Davenport and No. 7 Jennifer Capriati easily won, losing a total of seven games. Clijsters hurried into the second round by beating Amy Frazier 6-2, 6-0, and Davenport defeated Wynne Prakusya by the same score. Capriati, the 2001 champion, swept Joannette Kruger 6-2, 6-1.

Clijsters took center court at the same time her boyfriend, top-ranked Lleyton Hewitt, began his opening match.