Agassi counts cost of getting older

Andre Agassi claims he is being unfairly penalised by the ATP Tour for pulling out of tournaments.

The 32-year-old American was responding to the $80,000 fine he received for his late withdrawal from the Canadian Masters in Toronto last week.

It was the second time this year Agassi had pulled out of a Masters Series tournament at the eleventh hour.

"I don't have four weeks in a row in me anymore, I can't do that," said the former world number one.

"I can't take for granted that I can have one day off and turn some sort of corner. I'm certainly aware that it's part of the system but I don't think it's a great rule by any means.

"The difficulty is the expectation that I can play the same schedule as a 20-year-old."

Agassi won the Mercedes Benz tournament in Los Angeles and immediately pulled out of Toronto, citing a hip and back injury.

He did the same in May this year when he won the Rome Masters and promptly withdrew from the following week's tournament in Hamburg.

"It wasn't right for me to play last week," said Agassi. "I was nursing an injury all week in LA. I need to pay attention to every sort of kink I may feel."

Agassi added he has no alternative but to pull out of events and accept the ATP fines.

"Either I don't play anymore or I do it the only way I can and accept the penalties that go along with it, which unfortunately are pretty darn steep."