TENNIS / FRENCH OPEN : Agassi Battles Back This Time, but Not Enough to Pass Muster

Andre Agassi was drained and defeated, but as he walked off Court A at Roland Garros Stadium in the twilight Wednesday, he knew his game was not destroyed.

During an emotionally charged second-round match, Agassi discovered that he has, if nothing else, resolve.

Playing against No. 11-ranked Thomas Muster, Agassi rallied and rallied and rallied, before losing a 3-hour 43-minute match, 6-3, 6-7 (7-5), 7-5, 2-6, 7-5, at the French Open.

In the day’s most entertaining performance, Agassi proved he is still capable of big victories, if not now, then in the future.

Agassi has acknowledged that in the past he had difficulty after falling behind in a match, as he did against Muster. And although he had every chance to self-destruct, Agassi showed moxie even when trailing 5-1 in the fifth set.

Afterward, Agassi walked to the center of the new court, bowed and blew kisses to cheering fans.

But Muster, a hard-hitting left hander and one of the world’s best on clay, was too strong for Agassi. Suffering from blisters on both feet, Muster ignored the pro-Agassi crowd and continued battling whenever Agassi gained the upper hand.

“At 5-1, he just risked everything because he had the match lost already,” Muster said. “He was putting me under pressure and he had the crowd on his side. I had to play against everybody.”

But it was not Muster who seemed to crack. Agassi’s terrific play was almost obscured by his conduct--he was warned once for obscenity in the fourth set and received a penalty point in the fifth set for a second offense. A third violation would have resulted in a default.

He began yelling obscenities at himself for unforced errors that led to a first-set loss and a 5-2 deficit in the second. In the sixth game of the fourth set, he erupted when Bruno Rebeuch, a veteran chair umpire, overruled a line call that would have given Muster a double fault.

Then in the third game of the fifth set, Agassi criticized Rebeuch for slapping him with a penalty point when Agassi shouted a pejorative for homosexuals in chastising himself for an error.

“I didn’t say anything worthy of a point penalty,” Agassi said. “It’s something I’ve said frequently and said earlier in the match. I was under the impression it was OK. It’s sad the guy in the chair could do that. Had I known, I certainly wouldn’t have said it.”

Also advancing Wednesday were top-seeded Pete Sampras and two-time champion Jim Courier. Sampras struggled against No. 283 Marcelo Rios, a qualifier from Chile who at 18 was the youngest and lowest-ranked player in the men’s field. Sampras beat last year’s junior world champion, 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (7-4), 6-4.

Courier also had a difficult time overcoming Stefano Pescosolido of Italy, 7-5, 6-0, 6-7 (9-7), 6-4. Pescosolido held off five match points before losing.

But most of the day’s attention focused on Agassi-Muster. The matched marked Muster’s fourth victory over Agassi in five meetings.

Agassi, 23, runner-up here in 1990 and ‘91, was unseeded for the first time in a Grand Slam event since 1987 because his ranking has dropped to No. 19 after a five-month layoff caused by a wrist injury. He had surgery in December.

Agassi lost badly on clay in Monte Carlo and Rome this spring and has had problems with umpires in his last three outings.

But when all seemed lost in the fifth set, Agassi responded. Muster served twice for the match at 5-2 and 5-4, but Agassi broke each time. Then Muster broke Agassi for a 6-5 lead. Serving for the match a third time, he got to 40-30 with a forehand winner and finally ended it with a backhand volley that Agassi hit wide.

Tennis Notes

The traditional children’s day Wednesday brought out the high-pitched voices of France’s future players. On the first Wednesday of each French Open, 5,000 seats are reserved for youth from the country’s tennis clubs. It’s an idea that Brad Stine, coach of No. 4-ranked Andrei Medvedev, thinks should be copied by the U.S. Open. “I’ve been telling them to do that for four years,” said Stine, who left Jim Courier to coach Medvedev this year.

No. 6 Sergi Bruguera, the defending champion, scored a 6-2, 6-2, 7-6 (7-3) victory over No. 135 Christian Ruud of Norway. . . . Also reaching the third round were Medvedev of Ukraine, who defeated Nicklas Kulti of Sweden, 6-4, 7-6 (7-4), 4-6, 7-5, and No. 12 Richard Krajicek of the Netherlands, who beat Thierry Champion of France, 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 6-2.