Injury-hit Agassi and Kuerten make Paris exits

ANDRE AGASSI, the oldest player at the French Open, felt his age yesterday.

Hobbled by an inflamed nerve in his back, Agassi lost in the opening round for the second year in a row. He rarely ran after shots in the final two sets and lost to Finnish qualifier Jarkko Nieminen 7-5, 4-6, 6-7 (6), 6-1, 6-0.

The 35-year-old Agassi said the injury flared up in the third set.