Organisers slam Agassi pullout

Chinese organisers on Tuesday vented their anger at Andre Agassi's sudden pullout from the season-ending Masters Cup.

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"I don't appreciate what Andre Agassi is doing," deputy organising committee director Wang Liqun said through an interpreter.

"In 2000, when Agassi came for the Heineken (Open), he took an early exit in the first round. Two years later in the Masters Cup, after two defeats, he cited a hip injury and took off.

"This year it happened again."

Agassi hurt ankle ligaments playing racquetball four weeks ago and the eight-times Grand Slam champion was clearly not match fit against Davydenko.

The American world number five, who was making a record 13th appearance in the year-ending extravaganza, played with his left ankle heavily taped.

Earlier, French Open champion Rafael Nadal pulled out -- also with a sore ankle -- before his match with Argentine Gaston Gaudio.

Nadal also had fitness concerns coming to Shanghai, while Andy Roddick, Marat Safin and Lleyton Hewitt all withdrew before the start of the tournament.

Wang's scorn, however, was reserved for Agassi, although he stopped short of accusing the 1990 champion of faking injury.

"I don't want to make any personal comment on Andre Agassi's decision (to pull out)," he said. "However, I am certainly not appreciative of what he did -- particularly because he made the sudden announcement without notifying anyone."