He lost in the first round of the French Open, missed Wimbledon with a recurring hip injury, and played erratic tennis when he returned to the hard courts in July. At long last, it seemed, Andre Agassi had begun a final descent toward the end of his career.

Instead, as he has done so many times before, the 34-year-old Agassi picked himself up and started winning. First there was fourth-ranked Carlos Moya, followed by second-ranked Andy Roddick and former number one Lleyton Hewitt – in successive days. The run earned Agassi his first tournament victory since April of last year and set him on a 10-match winning streak before he lost a semifinal match in Washington, D.C., to Gilles Muller of Luxembourg.

“If you know one thing, it’s not to write Andre Agassi off,” said Roddick, last year’s U.S. Open champion, after falling to Agassi in Cincinnati. “I am going to be amazed if I can walk up the stairs fast when I’m 34, much less play that level of tennis.”

Since he arrived on the tour in 1986 at 16, Agassi has surged and sputtered more than any tennis great to come before him. While his chief rival, Pete Sampras, spent much of his career as the world’s top-ranked player, Agassi climbed and dipped, even falling to 141st in the world after putting tennis aside in 1997.Two years later, he had won the French Open and the U.S. Open and finished the year at the top of the world rankings.

So far this summer, Agassi has benefited from good timing. His victory in Cincinnati boosted his confidence from what he said was his “lowest point” in years. He had a week off afterward, then played well in D.C. before withdrawing from the last U.S. Open warm-up tournament this week in Commack, Long Island, to rest.

As upsetting as that last decision might have been to tournament officials and fans, one could hardly be surprised to see Agassi picking his spots to spare his legs, something he didn’t do in 1995, when he rolled into the U.S. Open on a spectacular streak that spanned 20 matches over four tournaments. That year, he lost in the final to Sampras, and said afterwards that his schedule had left him feeling fatigued.

This summer has had a better rhythm to it. “You know, with the week off and Washington, week off, then the U.S. Open, possibly it’s a great schedule,” Agassi said after winning in Cincinnati.

To win his third title here, Agassi will have to overcome a difficult draw. He’ll open the tournament against fellow American Robby Ginepri, whom he beat in the first round in 2002. If he reaches the round of 16, he could face Olympic gold medalist Nicolas Massu of Chile or Taylor Dent, who had Agassi on the ropes last year before withdrawing with an injury. He would then take on Roger Federer in the quarterfinals and perhaps Moya in the seminfinals.

The rest of the draw should showcase what has been a resurgence for men’s tennis these past two years. The field is strong, and new rivalries, particularly the one between Roddick and top seed Federer, are beginning to take hold.

Despite not having a coach, Federer seemed poised to run away with 2004 after winning the Australian Open and Wimbledon, then beating Roddick on hard courts in Toronto to win his third consecutive tournament on three different surfaces. But he faltered at the Olympics, making 59 unforced errors in losing to Tomas Berdych, an 18-yearold Czech who had won only four matches all year.

Federer will have a few easy matches to lift his game before his potential meeting with Agassi. And he won’t have to worry about David Nalbandian – who ousted Federer last year – unless he and the Argentine reach the final. Federer has had his way with Agassi of late, winning their last three meetings.

As for the defending champion, Roddick, this summer has not gone as smoothly as the last, when he lost just one match on hard courts. He started out with a win in Indianapolis, but lost to Federer in Montreal and Agassi in Cincinnati. Throughout, there have been more close matches than last year, and more struggles. Though Roddick has pushed his serve past the 150 mph mark this year, more players seem to be getting their rackets on it.

Roddick could be tested as early as the second round, where he will face either James Blake, who has been injured for much of the year, or a promising young lefty from Spain, Rafael Nadal. From there, Roddick could square off against the unpredictable Marat Safin in the round of 16 and, in the quarterfinals, Juan Carlos Ferrero, who lost to Roddick in last year’s final.

Awaiting Roddick in the semifinals is fourth seed Lleyton Hewitt, who is having his best hard-court season since winning the U.S. Open in 2001.The results are perhaps a bit deceiving, though, as many of Hewitt’s wins of late have come against weaker players. He lost to Agassi in Cincinnati, then did not play anyone ranked higher than 57th in the world in his next tournament. Nalbandian is the highest seed standing between Hewitt and the seminfinals.

The men’s game is incredibly deep these days, and fans should watch for some unsung players to shine. American Mardy Fish has struggled this season, but he surprised the world by reaching the gold medal match in Athens. The man who beat him, Chile’s Massu, also won a gold medal in doubles, and should be more confident than ever coming into the Open. Germany’s Tommy Haas is healthy again; his countryman, Nicolas Kiefer, has made two finals and a semifinal this summer.

There’s one more American worth a mention: Todd Martin, who may be playing his last U.S. Open. Look for the 1999 finalist in his first match against France’s Fabrice Santoro.