Agassi gaffe makes tennis a contact sport

Steffi Graf required three stitches yesterday after husband Andre Agassi inadvertently hit her in the face with his racket during a fundraiser that followed the final of the U.S. Clay Court Championships in Houston.

Graf and Agassi were holding hands while rallying with a couple of youngsters when Agassi's follow-through struck his wife in the face.

After she was hit, Graf lifted her left hand to her mouth and walked off to the side of the court with Agassi following closely behind her to check on her well-being. She wiped her mouth with a towel before leaving the stadium for an on-site doctor to administer three stitches to her lip, officials said.

Agassi and Graf were in Houston because Agassi is part of a reality show called The Big Give, an upcoming Oprah Winfrey production. An auction benefiting a Houston-area elementary school chosen for the show raised at least $225,000 yesterday.

A doctor who paid $70,000 for a trip to play tennis with the couple stitched up Graf.

Agassi retired last year at the U.S. Open, having won eight Grand Slam titles, while Graf retired in 1999 with 22 Grand Slam titles.