COUNTRYWIDE CLASSIC: AGASSI IS STICKING AROUND AVOIDS UPSET IN FIRST ROUND WITH VICTORY.

Byline: MATTHEW KREDELL Staff Writer

For a set, it looked as if Andre Agassi's farewell tour through Los Angeles could be painfully short.

Playing tentatively, he fell behind by a break early, then faced three set points after fighting back to force a tiebreaker.

In the end, Agassi wouldn't let down the fans that braved triple-digit temperatures to see him play one last time in one of his favorite tournaments.

Agassi rallied for a 7-6 (10), 6-0 victory Monday over Xavier Malisse of Belgium in the first round of the Countrywide Classic at UCLA.

``I was a little nervous,'' Agassi said. ``I haven't played a lot of close matches (this year). To be out there was a little nerve-wracking to me in the first set. But I settled down and the quality picked up. I knew I was only going to get better.''

The tournament didn't do any favors to protect its star attraction.

Malisse, ranked No. 38 in the world, clearly was a difficult first-round draw. He advanced to the semifinals last week in Indianapolis before falling to eventual champion James Blake.

``You made a tough pick for me,'' said Agassi, who is seeded fifth. ``Although I've beaten him the times we've played, it's always been tougher than the score, and (this) was no different.''

Agassi fell behind 3-1 but quickly broke back to get even, then seemed to be cruising with a 5-1 lead in the tiebreak. He had double-set point at 6-4, but Malisse won the next three points to get a set point of his own.

The decisive moment was at 9-10, when Agassi took a risky drop shot to win the point. At 10-10, Agassi barely clipped the line on a lob and rallied from behind to win the point. He finished it up on his fourth set point when Malisse hit a backhand wide.

Agassi tried more drop shots than usual when he noticed that Malisse, 10 years his junior, was tiring in the afternoon heat that measured 110 degrees on the court.

``I couldn't do much after 4-all,'' Malisse said. ``I've been playing a lot. I didn't get much rest after playing Saturday in Indianapolis. I traveled Sunday, got a half an hour of hitting and had to get out here.''

In an earlier match, Gilles Muller of Luxembourg, who was runner-up to Agassi last year, took an early exit in a 7-6 (5), 7-6 (5) loss to third-seeded Fernando Gonzalez of Chile, who closed out the match with a nasty forehand crosscourt winner.

Dmitry Tursunov of Russia, the other seeded player to go Monday at No. 8, also survived through two tiebreakers with a 7-6 (5), 7-6 (4) win over Danai Udomchoke of Thailand.

Agassi, 36, has announced that he will retire following next month's U.S. Open. The eight-time Grand Slam winner, who will go down as one of the best ever in his sport, has won four times in Los Angeles.

He said he enters the tournament feeling healthy. The chronic back condition that left him struggling to move after more than an hour on the court at times this year isn't bothering him at the moment.

He likely will play his second-round match on Wednesday.

``I'm still out there with a competitive spirit,'' Agassi said. ``I'm looking forward to this summer, and in some regards I'm in denial about it being my last summer out here. But I'm aware of how life's going to change, and I'm out there wanting it to last as long and as good as possible.''

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Andre Agassi hits a backhand to Xavier Malisse of Belgium during the Countrywide Classic on Monday at UCLA. Agassi won in straight sets to advance to the second round.

Jeff Gross/Getty Images