Agassi gets fine for obscenity

ANDRE AGASSI has been fined $1,500 for making an audible obscenity during his second round match at the Australian Open in Melbourne. The defending champion screamed out a flurry of abuse late in the third set of his 6-4, 6-2, 6-3 win over fellow American Vince Spadea yesterday.

At 2-3, 40-30 on his serve in the final set, Agassi wheeled around and yelled out a stream of obscenities that were clearly heard by the courtside crowd after sending a forehand long over the baseline.

British chair umpire Gerry Armstrong immediately gave Agassi a warning for a verbal obscenity. Early this morning tournament supervisor Bill Gilmour issued Agassi with the fine in relation to the sports code of conduct.

Agassi, with the strapping gone from an inflamed right knee, started uncertainly against Spadea but grew in confidence as he put aside any doubts about the injury.

Agassi, who injured his knee in a stumble down a spiral staircase at his hotel, was close to an early exit on Monday as he struggled for mobility in a five set battle with unknown Argentinian qualifier Gaston Etlis.

The number two seed confirmed after his victory over Spadea that his knee had responded to treatment. "It is definitely a lot better today than it was and I was moving close to par," Agassi said. "By the next match it should be 100 per cent."

In the women's singles early this morning, filth seed Kimiko Date was knocked out by her Japanese compatriot Mana Endo. Endo, who won 6-2, 1-6, 6-4, will play either Switzerland's Martina Hingis or Barbara Paulus of Austria in the third round.

Another seed to advance early this morning was Sweden's Thomas Enqvist, ranked seventh, who defeated Romanian Adrian Voinea 6-4, 6-4, 6-1.

Yesterday Michael Chang was in stunning form in his straight sets defeat of Switzerland's Jakob Hlasek, while 57th ranked Patrick McEnroe battled back brilliantly from two sets down to beat 14th seed Andrei Medvedev of Ukraine.

Joining them will be 15th seed Todd Martin and world number eight Jim Courier, who came up against his old friend on a short, fuse, Jeff Tarango.

Tarango, so well behaved in his, first round match against Australia's Paul Kilderry, lost his cool, on the centre court, at one time provocatively challenging the umpire to cite Courier for swearing.

The 73rd ranked Tarango, who was fined and banned for an extraordinary walk off at Wimbledon last year, escaped any punitive action, but made his exit from the tournament, beaten 7-5, 6-7, 6-4, 6-3.

Courier, who has known the fiery Tarango since childhood, said with some sympathy that he had, now become singled out after his Wimbledon outburst.

"When you become a marked man, people are a little bit rougher on you, no question," he told reporters. But he added that he saw no change in Tarango's behaviour since his Wimbledon punishment. "It is virtually the same as usual."

In contrast, the gentleman of the courts, Michael Chang, politely but ruthlessly put paid to any third round expectations of Swiss veteran Hlasek, beating him 6-1, 6-3, 6-3. Chang has dropped only 12 games in his first two matches.

. The Sligo and Irvinestown tennis clubs have entered into a unique cross-Border twinning arrangement in support of the peace process.

The Sligo and Fermanagh clubs are 50 miles apart but, the new arrangement, means that they will have access and free membership to each other.

Irvinestown club, secretary Seamus McCusker said. The initial approach was made by the Sligo club and their captain Gerry Walsh. We gladly welcomed it. All Irvinestown members are now automatic members of the Sligo club. Members from both clubs will be eligible to Ia in both clubs internal competitions.

Meanwhile, the Lansdowne club in Dublin are finalising arrangements for, a tournament open to classes six and seven and below at Londonbridge Road from February 5th to 10th. Entries close on January 26th.