AT A CAREER CROSSROADS AGASSI, 32, AIMS TO PROVE HE'S STILL AMONG PRO TENNIS' BEST PLAYERS.

Byline: Matthew Kredell Staff Writer

Andre Agassi calmly answers the questions about his future. They are pressing inquiries that make him think of unpleasant possibilities.

He answers so naturally because they are the same questions he asks himself. He wonders, just as tennis fans wonder, if he is on the downslide. He doesn't know if his early exit at Wimbledon was a sign of the future. He has no idea if he ever will win another Grand Slam event.

However, this uncertainty is why Agassi remains great - why Agassi remains feared. Of the stellar crop of American players with whom he entered the ATP and battled for more than a decade, he is the only one being asked these questions.

With movie-star fame and highly publicized relationships, Agassi seemed the most likely of his generation to burn out quickly. Yet here he is. Jim Courier is retired. Michael Chang hasn't won a tournament in two years. Popular opinion on Pete Sampras is that if he can't win at Wimbledon, he can't win anywhere.

Agassi, 32, might regain his top form, might add to his seven Grand Slam victories and take back the No. 1 ranking. Or he might not. He's anxious to find out.

``I feel very challenged to turn the season around and make up a lot over the next couple of months,'' Agassi said. ``I'm disappointed by Wimbledon. I can still have a great year, but it's going to take a lot of attention.''

Agassi has won three titles this year and is ranked No. 7 in the world. It's the Grand Slams that trouble him - an injury withdrawal from the Australian Open, a quarterfinal loss at the French Open and a second-round defeat at Wimbledon.

It's a major that needs to be his redemption. Agassi, who beat Gustavo Kuerten on Friday to advance to the semifinals, is using the Mercedes-Benz Cup to regain the confidence he will need at next month's U.S. Open.

The players he left in his wake are believers. Robby Ginepri, whom Agassi dispatched 6-3, 6-1 in the second round, said that ``everything'' Agassi did bothered him.

``He's always a contender,'' Ginepri said. ``Everybody respects him and thinks so highly of him. If he keeps working on his game, he can win a couple more Grand Slams before he retires.''

Agassi's consistency over the past few years is most surprising compared to his roller-coaster career. His ups and downs were much more extreme than his contemporaries, who now struggle.

Agassi was ranked No. 1 in 1995, then dropped to No. 141 in 1997. He lost interest in tennis that season, taking four months off and skipping three majors after marrying actress Brooke Shields. His confidence was shot. When he returned, he played two Challenger tournaments, the minor leagues of tennis.

In 1999, Agassi again reached No. 1 in the world, becoming the first former No. 1 ever to drop out of the top 100 and regain the top spot. He's been in the top 10 ever since.

``I think he's found a new appreciation for the game over the past few years,'' Chang said. ``A couple of years ago, he really struggled. He made a conscious effort to say, 'Do I really want to keep dragging on and give a half-hearted effort?' I think he really challenged his mentality.''

These days, Agassi seems at peace with both his tennis and personal life. He's married to former women's tennis great Steffi Graf, who understands the trials of his career. Together, they have a 9-month-old son, Jared Gil.

``I think Steffi has a great influence on him,'' Chang said. ``To be around somebody who has accomplished as much as she has, knows what it takes and gives him the support he needs has helped him tremendously.''

Agassi realizes the end is near and is giving back, not only to the younger players but to children through a public school in his hometown of Las Vegas. The Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy educates mostly poor children free of charge.

However, Agassi isn't ready to defer to the younger generation of American players yet.

``I don't discriminate against Americans,'' Agassi said with a laugh. ``I treat them all the same, that they are enemies as long as I'm playing. There's a high standard they're coming into with the group that preceded them. We're kind of at the end of our career. Me, Sampras, Courier who retired and Chang - there are a lot of Grand Slams in that group. It's going to be tough to take our place.''

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Photo:

(color) In a battle of former No. 1s, Andre Agassi defeats Gustavo Kuerten to advance to the semis of the Mercedes-Benz Cup.

Evan Yee/Staff Photographer