Gaudio Upsets Agassi

Andre Agassi lost a second consecutive first-round match on the ATP Tour on Monday night, probably complicating U.S. Open preparations for the seven-time Grand Slam event champion.

Agassi, who leads the ATP champions race, was defeated by 40th-ranked Gaston Gaudio of Argentina, 6-4, 7-6 (3), in his opening-round match in the Masters Series tournament at Mason, Ohio, a tuneup for the Open.

The defeat comes a week after Agassi exited the Montreal tournament at the same stage by losing to qualifier Ivan Ljubicic. He has lost his last two hard-court matches after a 16-match winning streak on that surface took him to titles at Los Angeles, Miami and Indian Wells earlier this year.

Earlier, top-seeded Gustavo Kuerten avenged last week’s loss to Andy Roddick, defeating the U.S. teenager, 7-6, 6-1.

Pro Basketball

Former USC guard Jeff Trepagnier, impressive in summer league play, signed a one-year contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Trepagnier was the Cavaliers’ second-round pick. In six games at Salt Lake City last month, he averaged 13 points and 2.17 steals.

Jurisprudence

The hunting buddy Bob Knight accidentally shot in 1999 contends in a lawsuit that the Texas Tech basketball coach pressured him into falsifying details to avoid potential legal problems.

In the lawsuit filed in a Madison, Wis., federal court, Thomas Mikunda says Knight also wanted to avoid any problems with his job at Indiana. Knight was later fired.

The lawsuit seeks unspecified compensatory and punitive damages and legal costs.

A decision on whether rape charges will be filed against former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson will not be made for at least several days, the deputy district attorney handling the case said.

The San Bernardino County district attorney’s office received the case from sheriff’s investigators. A 50-year-old woman maintains she was sexually assaulted by Tyson on July 16 at a Big Bear home he rented while training.

*

Charges were dropped against Nebraska running back Thunder Collins, who was accused of assaulting live-in girlfriend and Nebraska basketball player Shannon Howell.

Miscellany

USC freshmen reported to football training camp with a notable exception. Linebacker Marvin Simmons is awaiting the resolution of a Pacific 10 Conference and NCAA investigation into his scores on the Scholastic Assessment Test.

Defensive lineman Ray Tago, whose SAT score is under review by the Educational Testing Service, was allowed to participate as first-year players took physicals and attended team meetings.

*

Liu Ailing scored three goals as the Philadelphia Charge defeated the Carolina Courage, 5-1, in a WUSA game at Villanova, Pa.