Agassi’s Fall Continues as Kuerten Wins

The free fall of Andre Agassi continued Tuesday night as he was routed, 6-3, 6-1, in 46 minutes by rising star Gustavo Kuerten of Brazil in the first round of the ATP Championships at Mason, Ohio.

“It was easier than I expected,” Kuerten said.

Agassi, the No. 1 player in the world in 1995, is now ranked No. 33. Kuerten, the French Open champion, this week became the first Brazilian to crack the ATP Tour’s Top 10.

“I don’t need to be out there, but it is something I am choosing to fight for,” said a tear-eyed Agassi after the match. “Why? Sometimes I’m not sure. But, you know, I have heard it six different times in my career that I don’t have it, that I can’t do it again and I want to do it for the seventh time.”

In another first-round match, Albert Costa of Spain came back from two match points down to Jim Courier to win, 4-6, 7-6 (7-5), 6-3.

In an upset, Petr Korda of the Czech Republic, seeded 13th, lost to Jan Siemerink of the Netherlands, 7-5, 1-6, 6-1.

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The ATP said it will look into whether Boris Becker was given $125,000 to guarantee his appearance in at least one of two Volvo International tournaments.

The former Volvo International--now known as the Pilot Pen International--is among 21 of the ATP Tour’s 77 events that are restricted from paying players to appear.

Former Volvo tournament director Jim Westhall has admitted to paying guarantees but has not revealed which players received appearance fees.

Basketball

Edgar Padilla and Carmelo Travieso, the backcourt that led the University of Massachusetts to the Final Four in 1996, helped Puerto Rico to a surprising 74-69 victory over the United States in the under-23 World Basketball Championships in Melbourne.

Padilla made two jump shots, one a three-point basket, late in the game as Puerto Rico rallied from an eight-point halftime deficit to hand the U.S. (3-1) its first loss.

Padilla finished with 14 points and Travieso had 10 points . Shariff Fajardo led Puerto Rico (4-0) with 21 points and 12 rebounds.

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Philadelphia 76er guard and NBA rookie of the year Allen Iverson said he’s sorry that he used poor judgment, but also that he would plead not guilty to drug charges lodged in New Kent County, Va., where he was a passenger in a car that was stopped for going 93 mph in a 65-mph zone. Marijuana cigarettes and a gun Iverson said was his were found in the car, which also belonged to Iverson.

University of Minnesota forward Courtney James was found guilty of one count of domestic assault and was cleared of a second similar charge in Minneapolis.

Golf

With a rush of six birdies and an eagle in an eight-hole span, Greg Norman and Brad Faxon won the Fred Meyer Challenge in West Linn, Ore., for the third consecutive year. Norman and Faxon shot an 63 in the second round for a 123 total, 19 under and three shots better than Phil Mickelson and Jay Haas shot.

Jurisprudence

Former New York Islander owner John Spano, arraigned in New York last month on bank and wire fraud charges, has also been subpoenaed in Dallas and Boston. Prosecutors in those cities are investigating Spano’s banking activities and their relation to his acquisition of the Islanders.

Miscellany

Robert and Beverly Lewis of Newport Beach, owners of Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Silver Charm, paid $1 million for a colt by Devil’s Bag from Charming Tiara at the opening session of the 1997 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Yearling Sales at Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

It was the first $1 million purchase at Saratoga since 1990.

Spanish driver Carlos Sainz was challenging for the lead in the Rally of New Zealand, but ran into a sheep at 110 mph, and Sweden’s Kenneth Eriksson’s Subaru team won the event.

Sainz had driven his Ford Escort over the crest of a hill and slammed into a sheep in the middle of the road. He got restarted and finished second by six seconds.

David Navin, bowman on the big boat “Flash Gordon 3” fell over the side during the first of two sailing races in the Admiral’s Cup regatta, and the crew on Jim Brady and Ken Read’s boat made a dramatic rescue and finished last in their class at Cowes on Isle of Wight. The United States’ three-boat team retained its overall lead with 90 points, to Germany’s 105.25.

Names in the News

Ray Renfro, a former receiver for the Cleveland Browns who played in five NFL championship games, died in San Antonio at 67. . . . A memorial service for boxing trainer Alex Sherer, who died at 42 Friday, will be held Saturday at Los Angeles Funeral Home, 3875 S. Crenshaw Blvd. . . . Forward Darren Langdon, who led the New York Rangers in penalty minutes last season, agreed to terms on a new contract.