Struggling Kuerten falls early

Gustavo Kuerten made a first-round exit from the French Open when Spaniard David Sanchez beat him 6-3 6-0 4-6 6-1 on an outside court on Tuesday.

Three-times champion Gustavo Kuerten made a first-round exit from the French Open when Spaniard David Sanchez beat him 6-3 6-0 4-6 6-1 on an outside court on Tuesday.

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The Brazilian, who underwent surgery on his right hip for the second time last September and has been struggling since, has fallen to 94th place in the ATP entry list.

The 28-year-old, who shot to fame in Paris when he won as an unseeded player in 1997 and triumphed again in 2000 and 2001, reached the quarter-finals here last year after defeating world number one Roger Federer.

Sanchez, who is ranked outside the top 100, had lost in the opening round here the last two years.