Former world number one Andre Agassi was given a wildcard entry yesterday for the 1998 Australian Open after failing to earn a spot because of his low ranking. Agassi, who won the grand slam event in Melbourne in 1995, needed an invitation to compete after slipping to 140 in the rankings.
Australian Open tournament director Paul McNamee said the American was determined to reverse his decline, starting in Melbourne in the last two weeks in January, after struggling badly for form and fitness in 1997.
"Andre is really serious about returning to his former fitness level so he's playing a couple of small . . . tournaments before the end of the year to ensure he's ready for the Open," McNamee said.
Agassi has lost in the first round in eight of the 13 tournaments he has played this year, most recently at the hands of compatriot Todd Martin at last week's Stuttgart Open.
"I watched Agassi play at the US Open and there's still fire in the belly. You could never write off a player of that ability," McNamee said in a statement.
