AGASSI LACKS BALANCE : TENNIS STAR VOLLEYS FROM EXTREME TO EXTREME.

Byline: Arizona Republic

He has fame, millions in prize money, his own corporation, an Olympic gold medal and even a private 727 jetliner that whisks him from tournament to tournament.

Oh, and don't forget about his fiancee who's an actress with her own NBC-TV series.

Nice life, huh?

Sure, said celebrity athlete Andre Agassi, one of the best to ever smack a tennis ball on this planet.

Yet something has been missing. Something almost every person strives for but only a few ever achieve. Something Agassi probably has craved since he was 16, when he emerged as a prodigy of tennis coach Nick Bollettieri.

A balance.

``That's a very difficult thing when you have such an extreme life,'' said Agassi, who will be competing this week at the Franklin Templeton Tennis Classic in Scottsdale.

``It's extreme to play year-round. It's extreme to have a fiancee who has just as busy a schedule as you do. It's extreme to travel so much. . . .

``But you have to address the priorities in a way that makes your (entire) life possible.''

Agassi is making progress. Between his tour commitments, business dealings, training camps, endorsements, media demands and putting together an annual benefit concert for children, he tries to schedule a little personal time an offseason of sorts.

Without it, Agassi said, ``I found myself getting very consumed and distant. Now, I'm back into tennis. And I'm enjoying it.''

Agassi recently took a break from the sport, passing up the Australian Open in January and fueling speculation that perhaps the 26-year-old may just walk away for good. There also were reports that he and actress Brooke Shields, who stars in ``Suddenly Susan,'' finally might be getting around to tying the knot.

Agassi actually was in Las Vegas, his hometown, spending most of his hours in his own 3,000-square-foot gymnasium - complete with seven exercise machines along a wall he has dubbed ``Death Row.''

``I wouldn't call it a break,'' Agassi said, laughing. ``I was working pretty hard.

``Some people need to get out there and just play, play, play. With me, though, it's important to get my strength level back - to get my fitness back - and then address it with a very fresh, excited approach.''

Agassi hopes ``The Punisher'' is back. That's a nickname he came up with in 1995 when he was ranked No. 1 in the world, won a career-high seven titles in 11 finals and compiled a personal-best 73-9 match record.

So does his coach, former pro Brad Gilbert, who once said, ``When The Punisher's out, God himself couldn't beat Andre.''

But then Agassi lost to Pete Sampras in the 1995 U.S. Open final - and with it his No. 1 ranking. Afterward, Agassi looked back on his incredible run, which included 26 consecutive match victories, and admitted he felt emotionally drained, physically exhausted and, in some ways, unfulfilled.

Those feelings carried over into 1996, a year that ``slipped by,'' Agassi said, despite his winning three titles (Key Biscayne, Cincinnati, Atlanta Olympics), $1.1 million in earnings and winding up with a No. 8 ranking.

``I would say last year was an exciting year on one level - the gold medal,'' the winner of 34 career titles said. ``I think one of the things that reflects on a year being good or bad is Grand Slam results (Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, U.S. Open).''

Agassi compared his performance in '96 with that of a basketball player who has lost his shooting touch.

``I just kind of felt like I didn't quite have the look at the basket that I wanted. Those few seconds when the ball is up in the air, and you're wondering if it's going in or not - that's a wonderful feeling.

``I didn't quite have that.''

This week's tournament at the Scottsdale Princess will be the first outdoor event for Agassi. He reached the semifinals of the Sybase Open in San Jose, then suffered a turned ankle in his first match at the Kroger St. Jude in Memphis, Tenn.

Agassi, who wasn't scheduled to hit balls again until Thursday, sounded upbeat and ready to challenge for his third title in Scottsdale after winning it in 1993 and '94.

``I feel like The Punisher's mentality is there,'' he said. ``There are a lot of things I need to tighten up as far as my game goes, but I definitely anticipate that coming around.''

Gilbert agrees. ``I think he's in the right frame of mind, to be working hard and (knowing) that his time will come.''

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Photo: With millions of dollars in the bank in prize money, Andre Agassi's life is missing something.

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