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LONDON (AP) - Andre Agassi, a first-round loser at the French Open, was beaten in his opening match at the Queen's Club tournament Tuesday by a player ranked 60th and making his debut in a grass-court event.
This was the first time since August 1997 the 34-year-old Agassi has lost three straight opening-round matches.
Agassi lost 4-6, 7-6 (2), 7-6 (3) to Russia's Igor Andreev, then failed to show at a news conference. He faces a fine from the ATP.
It was unclear whether Agassi would play his doubles match with Andy Roddick on Wednesday. Roddick, seeded first and the defending champion, beat Karol Kucera 7-6 (4), 6-2.
The third-seeded Agassi rallied in the third-set tiebreaker from a 4-0 deficit to 4-3. But he then committed three unforced errors, including a forehand into the net on match point.
The eight-time Grand Slam winner lost to Jerome Haehnel at Roland Garros following a first-match loss at St. Poelten, Austria, also on clay.
"It happens with all players,'' Roddick said. "He's not hitting the ball as well as he wants to in the matches.
"We've been practicing, and he's been practicing great. And we played doubles (Monday), and he was hitting the ball perfect.''
Andreev had 18 aces against Agassi. The Russian beat Juan Carlos Ferrero, the defending champion, in the second round at the French Open and lost to eventual champion Gaston Gaudio in the fourth round.
"It's amazing,'' Andreev said. "It's a dream for me. I beat Ferrero at the French Open and the first time to play on grass I beat Andre Agassi, my idol.''
Another former Wimbledon champion, Goran Ivanisevic, and last year's Wimbledon finalist, Mark Philippoussis, also lost in the first round at the Queen's Club.
Advancing to the second round were No. 8-seeded Sjeng Schalken of the Netherlands, No. 12 Robby Ginepri of the United States, No. 15 Radek Stepanek of the Czech Republic and No. 16 Todd Martin of the United States, a two-time Wimbledon semifinalist.
Roddick had 13 aces against Kucera. He held serve in the first set, was broken early in the second, then won five of the last six games.
Philippoussis was upset 7-6 (2), 7-6 (3) by 866th-ranked Ian Flanagan of Britain, while Ivanisevic lost 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-4 to Romanian Victor Hanescu. The Croat won Wimbledon as a wild card three years ago but has been bothered by shoulder, elbow and knee injuries the last two years.
He ended 2003 ranked No. 654 and has won just two of 10 ATP tour matches in 2004, although his ranking has improved to 415. He needed a wild card for Queen's and hopes to play at Wimbledon later this month before probably retiring.
Philippoussis, a loser to Roger Federer in last year's Wimbledon final, has slumped since a fourth-round showing at the Australian Open. He has lost two Davis Cup matches and seven straight opening-round matches.
Schalken beat qualifier Wesley Whitehouse 7-6 (4), 6-3; Ginepri downed Cyril Saulnier 6-2, 6-1; Stepanek eliminated Raemon Sluiter 3-6, 6-1, 7-6; and Martin downed Olivier Rochus 6-4, 6-3;
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