ST. POELTEN, Austria - Andre Agassi lost in the first round of the Raiffeisen Grand Prix on Monday to a qualifier ranked 339th in the world.
Nenad Zimonjic of Serbia-Montenegro beat Agassi 6-2, 7-6 (8-6) at the clay-court tuneup for the French Open, which starts next week.
"Zimonjic played great tennis. It was very hard for me to guess what he was going to do next," said Agassi, who skipped other events on the European clay circuit.
Zimonjic broke Agassi's serve in the sixth game and took the first set in a little more than half an hour. Zimonjic varied baseline hits with serve-and-volley attacks and played risky kick serves on his second serve.
It was Agassi's first clay-court match of the year and first match on tour since March 30, when he lost in the fourth round at Miami. Agassi, a semifinalist at three of his four previous tournaments this season, had not lost a first-round match since the Italian Open, his final match before the 2003 French Open. He reached the quarterfinals last year at Roland Garros.
OLYMPICS: Transsexuals can compete
Transsexuals were cleared to compete in the Olympics for the first time. Under a proposal approved by the IOC executive board, athletes who have undergone sex-change surgery will be eligible for the Games if their new gender has been legally recognized and they have gone through a minimum two-year period of postoperative hormone therapy. The decision goes into effect starting with the Athens Games.
CASES CLOSED: The IOC closed the cases of two dozen U.S. medalists who failed drug tests in the 1980s and 1990s. The IOC executive board reviewed information it was given by the USOC in September, when officials revealed the positive tests. "The IOC medical commission is of the opinion that most of the cases were handled in accordance with the rules at that time," IOC spokeswoman Giselle Davies said.
SOCCER: The sport's governing body will not sign an agreement with the World Anti-Doping Agency unless WADA signs a deal that alters its rules for FIFA. The sides reached a "cooperative agreement" in February that called for all cases to be assessed individually. FIFA also wanted professional players to be waived from telling drug testers their address and contact details, for national associations be in charge instead of WADA and for WADA to agree not to appeal FIFA decisions. FIFA's refusal to sign could force the IOC to leave soccer out of the Games.
TENNIS: USOC coaches Patrick McEnroe and Zina Garrison must select their four singles players and two doubles teams for Athens by June 28. Andy Roddick is a lock to lead the U.S. men in singles, and twins Bob and Mike Bryan are the world's top doubles team. McEnroe said he would have two singles players fill out the other doubles team. Roddick wants to be considered.
GOLF: Area players eye Open
Tampa's Adam Swope shot 5-under 67 at River Hills Country Club to earn medalist honors at area qualifying for the U.S. Open. Swope, a Jesuit High standout, plays for the University of Mississippi. Valrico's Pete Jordan and Tampa's Akio Sadakata shot 70 to advance to sectional qualifying. Valrico's Kevin Warrick, who qualified for the Open two years ago at Bethpage Black on Long Island, shot 71 and is the first alternate. A 36-hole sectional qualifier is June 8 at Lake Nona in Orlando. At the Grasslands, Lakeland's Brad Bryant shot 67, leading three others to sectionals. Orlando's Ahmad Bateman (68), St. Petersburg's Kyle McCarthy (69) and Bradenton's Gary Gilchrist (70) advanced.
GOLFER KILLED: A man was killed by lightning about 3:30 p.m. on a Lee County course. The man, whose name was not released, was hit on the seventh tee at the Heritage Palms Golf and Country Club, Fort Myers police said. Lightning struck him in the abdomen with an exit wound around his right ankle.
LANGER OUT: European Ryder Cup captain Bernhard Langer withdrew from next week's British PGA Championship because of a wrist injury.
BOXING: Klitschko feels fine
Wladimir Klitschko wants to fight again despite being ordered by the German Boxing Federation to take six months off because of his knockout loss to Lamon Brewster. "I am 100 percent healthy," Klitschko said, adding he plans his next bout for September or October. Klitschko's brother, Vitali, suggested the letter sent by the federation was part of an attempt to bind Wladimir to a contract with promoter Peter Kohl. The fight was held in Las Vegas, and the Nevada Athletic Commission imposed no such penalty. The Klitschkos' lawyer said the fighters ended their contract with Kohl.
BOWE RELEASED: Former heavyweight champion Riddick Bowe was released from prison in Hagerstown, Md., after serving 17 months for kidnapping his first wife and their children in 1998. The 36-year-old will be under home detention until his sentence ends June 8. He was released early for good conduct. Bowe's attorney, Steven Silverman, said legal disputes over Bowe's health and management have been resolved, clearing the way for a possible return to the ring.
ET CETERA:
CYCLING: American Fred Rodriguez rallied to beat favorite Alessandro Petacchi, winning the ninth stage of the Giro d'Italia. Italy's Damiano Cunego kept the overall lead by 10 seconds. Rodriguez covered the 88 miles from Policoro to Carovigno in 4 hours, 4 minutes, 38 seconds.
FIGURE SKATING: Bay area skaters won 26 medals at the Sunshine State Games Championships in Coral Springs. Among the multiple winners were 13-year-old Elizabeth Ku of Tampa and 12-year-old Juran "T.J." Yang of Riverview.
TRACK AND FIELD: The federal lawsuit brought by Regina Jacobs against the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency and USA Track & Field was dismissed. Jacobs tested positive for the steroid THG at the U.S. outdoor championships last year. Her lawsuit asked the court to excuse her from the USADA adjudication process that has been in place since 2001. Judge Barbara Jones concluded the court didn't have jurisdiction to intervene. Jacobs had filed a claim with the American Arbitration Association.
OBITUARY: John Frank Patterson Sr., a Hall of Fame harness racing trainer and driver, died Sunday of leukemia. He was 83. Patterson trained and raced multiple world-record holder Overtrick, who won the Little Brown Jug in 1963 in Delaware, Ohio.
