A limping Andre Agassi [Images] lost 7-5, 4-6, 6-7, 6-1, 6-0 to Finnish qualifier Jarkko Nieminen in the first round of the French Open on Tuesday.

The former world number one has now played more Grand Slam tournaments than anyone else in the Open era but he has also lost his opening match at Roland Garros to a qualifier for the second time in succession.

The 1999 champion, who fell to Frenchman Jerome Haehnel at the Open last year, had his chances against Nieminen but apparently pulled a muscle.

He was unable to move freely during the final two sets and hit a backhand return long on the first match point after three hours of play.

The American, the oldest player in the draw at 35, was playing his 58th Grand Slam event, one more than Michael Chang, Jimmy Connors, Ivan Lendl and Wayne Ferreira, who share second place on the list.

Maria Sharapova [Images] dispensed with the glamour and employed her Russian grit to survive a nerve-jangling first round clash with compatriot Evgenia Linetskaya.

The Wimbledon [Images] champion and world number two was stretched to the limit by her game opponent but clawed her way to a 6-7,6-2,6-4 victory on court Suzanne Lenglen.

A bank of photographers had been attracted by Sharapova's appearance on Roland Garros's second showcourt but it was the little-known Linetskaya who threatened to perform the star turn.

Shrieking with effort and frustration, Sharapova eventually negotiated her way past her fellow 18-year-old, though, and faces either France's [Images] Camille Pin or Aravane Rezai next.

Turnament favourite and 2003 champion Justine Henin-Hardenne extended her winning streak to 18 matches, all on clay, by beating Conchita Martinez 6-0, 4-6, 6-4.

Sixth-seeded Svetlana Kuznetsova [Images], last year's US Open [Images] champion, easily beat Mathilde Johansson 6-1, 6-1 even as two seeded women -- No. 23 Ai Sugiyama and No. 26 Paola Suarez, a semi-finalist last year, were shown the door.

Sugiyama lost to Nuria Llagostera Vives 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 while Suarez was beaten by Anna Chakeadze 7-5, 1-6, 6-0.

Australian Open [Images] champion Marat Safin [Images] began his bid for a first French Open crown, beating Raemon Sluiter 6-1, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2.

No. 32 Juan Carlos Ferrero, the French Open champ two years ago, defeated Karol Beck 6-4, 6-3, 6-3.

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