American veteran Andre Agassi decided on skipping the clay-court season this year to give himself time to prepare for Wimbledon. The 35-year-old star has been struggling with a back injury over the past few seasons, that has forced him to take Cortisone shots to allow him to play. The eight-time Grand Slam champion said he prefers to rest during the clay-court season in efforts to be fit for Wimbledon, as the American finds the clay surface ‘tough' on his body. "I realistically don't feel I can compete with all the guys that play so well on clay," Agassi was quoted as saying by BBC Sport. "The clay has been pretty tough on my body, especially the last two years, which has been the reason I wasn't ready for Wimbledon," said Agassi. "I won't be playing any clay court tennis this year, which is sort of a preservation plan." Agassi missed Wimbledon last year as he was hampered by back problems for two months after the French Open. The American however made an excellent return in the hard-court season winning his 60th career title in Los Angeles and reaching the final at the Montreal Masters and the US Open. "With the toll it takes, I'm going to skip (the clay-court season) and get ready for the grass and the rest of the hard-courts and the indoors,” added Agassi, who is currently ranked ninth in the world. "But I'll be looking to play somewhere before Wimbledon, for sure." Agassi will be playing his second event of the season this week in Dubai, where he joins a stellar field that includes Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Marat Safin and Tim Henman. His opening match will be against Britain's strong-serving Greg Rusedski on Monday.
