TENNIS ROUNDUP : Agassi Withdraws From the Australian Open

Andre Agassi, who planned to make his Australian Open debut next week, has been forced to withdraw because of illness, officials said today.

Geoff Pollard, president of Tennis Australia, said he was informed that Agassi has a virus and bacterial infection that developed into bronchitis.

“Obviously we are disappointed,” Pollard said. “Although Andre’s ranking has slipped to nine, he is still an exciting player and we were looking forward to seeing him here.”

Michael Tebbutt, a qualifier ranked 870th in the world, upset sixth-seeded Sergi Bruguera of Spain, 6-7 (7-0), 7-6 (7-4), 6-4, Monday in the first round of the New South Wales tournament Monday at Sydney, Australia.

The 22-year-old from Sydney, who has six months of eligibility left at Northern Arizona, was so surprised that he was asking journalists if he could have his winnings put in a trust account.

“I’m on cloud nine,” Tebbutt said. “I never expected to win.

In women’s competition, Mary Joe Fernandez was forced to withdraw because of flu, and Helena Sukova dropped out because of a leg injury after being even with Barbara Rittner of Germany, 6-2, 3-6, 5-5.

Sabine Appelmans of Belgium upset eighth-seeded Zina Garrison-Jackson, 6-4, 7-6 (7-3), and top-seeded Gabriela Sabatini beat Kimiko Date of Japan, 7-5, 6-2.

Sabatini won the first four games almost effortlessly, but Date rallied from 15-40 in the next game and eventually surged ahead, 5-4. Sabatini often got into trouble because of an erratic backhand and a poor first serve.

Sabatini ran off the last three games of the first set and the first four of the second, including a stretch when she took 20 of 22 points.

Sabatini, who has been trying to improve her serve and net play, was willing to accept the mistakes that accompany adding a little power. “I thought I served very well,” she said. “I had a few double faults, but that’s OK. I was very aggressive.”

Jennifer Capriati and Pete Sampras are scheduled to play their first matches today.

Top-seeded Amanda Coetzer of South Africa survived a first-round scare in the Victorian Open with a 4-6, 6-1, 6-2 victory over Mana Endo of Japan at Melbourne, Australia.

Third-seeded Julie Halard of France defeated Yayuk Basuki of Indonesia, 6-3, 7-5; Debbie Graham beat Joanne Limmer of Australia 6-2, 7-5, and Shi-Ting Wang of Taipei got past Shaun Stafford, 6-1, 1-6, 6-4.

“I was a little tentative today. It’s taken me a whole week to get used to everything,” said Graham, who lost to Nicole Pratt in the first round of last week’s Australian Women’s Hardcourt championships in Brisbane.