Andre Agassi lost 6-4, 6-2 to Nikolay Davydenko and then pulled out of the Tennis Masters Cup on Monday, less than an hour after second-ranked Rafael Nadal withdrew with an injured left foot.
Nadal withdrew while Agassi was on court. The 19-year-old Spaniard had been due to face Gaston Gaudio in his opening round-robin match in the Gold group.
Mariano Puerta was drafted in to play Gaudio in Monday’s later match at Shanghai’s Qi Zhong Stadium.
Agassi lasted one hour and 14 minutes against Davydenko and then told reporters he had to withdraw after aggravating an ankle problem.
”No chance for me to play again — it’s very dangerous and risky for my future,” said Agassi. ”This is an unfortunate setback.”
The two latest injuries are a major setback for the season-ending Masters Cup, which is supposed to feature the top eight players of the year.
Third-ranked Andy Roddick and Australian Open winner Marat Safin withdrew before the tournament because of injuries and Australia’s Lleyton Hewitt, ranked fourth, opted to remain in Sydney with his wife, Rebecca Cartwright, who is expecting the couple’s first child within two weeks. — Sapa-AP