Agassi flying high in medal chase

YESTERDAY IN ATLANTA: Tennis

Andre Agassi beat Karol Kucera of Slovakia 6-4, 6-4 for his second straight- sets win of the Olympics to advance to the third round of the men's singles. Leading by a set and 4-3, the American's serve was interrupted by a flock of geese that scattered droppings on a family of five sitting in the stands. Agassi ran for a court-side towel and threw it up to a grateful man in the stands.

Agassi, who has replaced the injured Richey Reneberg in the doubles, said: "What it boils down to is where your priorities are and what importance you put on the Olympics. An Olympic medal for me would be a greater accomplishment than any Grand Slam."

The Australian Todd Woodbridge, who ended the Olympic dreams of the Briton Tim Henman, was arrested and fined pounds 60 after an argument with a woman security guard near the athletes' village. Australian officials are to launch a complaint with the organisers over the incident.

Police and Olympic officials said Woodbridge, one of the world's top doubles players, pleaded no contest to a charge of disorderly conduct after the incident early on Wednesday morning.

Bob Brennan, an Olympic spokesman, said the incident involved an altercation, "pushing and shoving between the athlete and the security officer" after she had tried to grab his accreditation card. The Australian Olympic Committee president, John Coates, said there was a "misunderstanding" between Woodbridge and the woman officer after he got out of a car driven by his father-in- law.

Woodbridge was arrested, charged and taken to Atlanta's pre-trial detention centre, where he was fined and then released.

Mary Pierce's disappointing year continued at the Olympics when the Frenchwoman crashed out in the women's singles second round to lowly-ranked Ines Gorrochategui. The Argentinian, ranked 83rd in the world, beat the 12th seed 6-4, 1-6,7- 5.