Agassi beats Mirnyi in Madrid Masters
(Agencies)
Updated: 2004-10-20 09:10

Andre Agassi got past big-serving Max Mirnyi 7-6 (5), 6-3 Tuesday to reach the third round at the Madrid Masters.

The second-seeded Agassi, the tournament's 2002 champion, was given a first-round bye. He owns a record 17 Masters titles.

Andre Agassi of the U.S. serves to Max Mirnyi of Belarus during their match at the Madrid Masters tennis tournament in Madrid, October 19, 2004. [Reuters]

"It was definitely a difficult match. He plays a type of game that is very difficult. It was tough to get a rhythm," Agassi said.

"I got fortunate on some key points."

Agassi's next match is against No. 14-seeded Vince Spadea or Spanish teen Rafael Nadal, a 6-2, 6-1 winner against Davide Sanguinetti.

In other second-round action, Olympic silver medalist Mardy Fish lost to Andrei Pavel 6-1, 3-6, 7-6 (2), Antony Dupuis of France upset 12th-seeded Juan Ignacio Chela 7-6 (4), 6-3, and No. 4 David Nalbandian downed Robin Soderling 7-6 (5), 6-3.

Tommy Haas and Taylor Dent advanced to the second round with easy wins. Haas beat Xavier Malisse 6-4, 6-1, while Dent defeated Mikhail Youzhny 6-3, 6-2.

Also, Ivan Ljubicic eliminated Tomas Berdych 6-4, 6-4, Fernando Verdasco breezed past Jonas Bjorkman 6-1, 6-2, and Guillermo Canas came back to beat Kristof Vliegen 5-7, 7-5, 6-1.

Feliciano Lopez beat Ivo Karlovic 6-4, 6-7 (10), 7-6 (5) in a match that lasted more than 2 hours and next meets Marat Safin.

Agassi's a bit skeptical about the fashion models in skimpy outfits replacing ball boys at the Madrid Masters.

"I suppose I need some time to let it absorb," Agassi said. "I think it's important for our sport to understand its product clearly. And I'm not quite convinced it's part of our product."

Women in black tank tops and white, knee-length skirts chased errant shots and handed towels to the players. Reportedly paid $1,100 for the week, the women are appearing in one televised match each day.

"It was difficult, to say the least, to concentrate on the ball," Agassi said. "But I suppose I had an advantage. I'm used to playing with my wife" — Steffi Graf.

"The skirts look like they're a little difficult to run in," Agassi added. "I think they need to be shorter, maybe."

The government's Secretary for Equality, Soledad Murillo, called on tournament organizers to stop using the models, saying Tuesday it portrayed women as "merely objects of decoration and entertainment."

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