For Andre Agassi, last year’s U.S. Open must seem like a decade ago.

Somehow last fall, his 35-year-old body withstood three consecutive five-set matches en route to his sixth final in Flushing. The 25-year-old Xavier Malisse, a strapping Belgian, looked exhausted after sparring with Agassi for three hours. James Blake, fleet-footed and forehand-ferocious, abused Agassi for the better part of three sets – but as the clock ticked past midnight, the veteran prevailed in one of the sport’s most memorable matches. Robby Ginepri? Agassi beat him on will alone, then played about even with Roger Federer until the world no. 1 finally came crashing down on him.

Agassi, who turned 36 in April, has completed nine matches since then, losing five of them. An ankle sprained while playing racquetball forced him to withdraw from the year-end Masters Cup, and later the Australian Open. He played poorly upon his return to the hard courts in February and March, before a persistent problem with the sciatic nerve in his back flared up. He skipped the clay court season in hopes of resting and training for Wimbledon, where he won his first Grand Slam title in 1992. He finally returned to action at a warm-up event in London last week, losing to Tim Henman in the first round.

“I feel like I started more uncomfortable than I wanted to and ended pretty ordinary,” Agassi said. “So that’s not good.”

When Wimbledon begins on Monday,Agassi will have to do better than ordinary, and he might have to do it soon. The American is ranked no. 20 in the world, but the injuries that prevented him from playing Wimbledon the past two years have cost him in the All England Club’s seeding system. At no. 26, he might be roaming about London and contemplating retirement by mid-week.

If given a chance to settle in, however, Agassi might produce a few magical moments.

“If he gets a couple matches I think, once he kind of gets rolling like that, he could be very dangerous,” James Blake said yesterday. “He’s obviously not intimidated by anyone. So he could be dangerous to anyone in the draw.”

Perhaps no player has ever had timing as exquisite as Agassi’s; in his hands, racket meets ball precisely stroke after stroke. Because Agassi attacks the ball so early – as soon as it bounces – he can create sharply angled shots that will skid away from opponents as they search for traction on the slick lawns. Another benefit of Agassi’s game on grass: He keeps his running to a minimum, cutting off angles rather than scampering along from a few feet behind the baseline. The fewer steps on grass, the better, as one’s footing is often unsure.

Of course, Agassi will need as much (if not more) luck as skill to succeed at what might very well be his last Wimbledon, or even his last major tournament. The other two American contenders in the draw, Andy Roddick and Blake, ought to do just fine on their tennis alone.

Roddick, the no. 3 seed, has reached the Wimbledon final the past two years, and he desperately needs to last at least that long if he hopes to salvage what has been a terrible year (no finals so far, never mind titles). Blake, in comparison, looks formidable, having played reasonably well at the French Open and at long last finding some comfort on grass at Queen’s Club in London last week, where he lost in the final to Lleyton Hewitt. Blake, seeded no. 8, has won two tournaments this year and reached two other finals.

For Roddick, the blame rests on his serve, which has not produced its usual results. Roddick has won 91% of his service games or better every year since the beginning of 2003.This year, he has won 87% (in 31 matches, according to the ATP) and has lost about 4% more firstserve points. The last time Roddick lost this much on his serve was 2002, when he finished no. 10 in the world.

Without a good showing at Wimbledon, Roddick might be on course for a finish outside the top 10. Men like Hewitt, Blake, and Mario Ancic are not far behind him, and they should each have a strong tournament (Hewitt, depending on his draw, which will be announced today, looks like a reasonable candidate for the final).Roddick has to serve better,attack more, and convince his opponents that they cannot expect to beat him by merely playing steady.

Blake can never be accused of playing timid. But can he consolidate the gains of a stellar nine months – an improved backhand, a more reliable serve, and a better sense of when to rally and when to let it rip – into a careerdefining moment? The 26-year-old has never gone beyond a quarterfinal at a Grand Slam, and Wimbledon presents a fine opportunity to announce himself as a true contender.

Last year, Blake was just beginning his comeback from an array of injuries and the death of his father when he lost in the first round as night descended on the outer courts. Considering his form today, there’s every reason to believe he will stand among the final eight men. Grass rewards offense, and Blake can attack with the best of them. His volley, though not spectacular, is underrated and usually quite effective, and perhaps only Roger Federer has a more potent forehand. If Blake chooses the right times to come forward, most matches will be his to win.

While Roddick, Blake, and Hewitt should contend for the title, the tournament remains Federer’s to lose.The world no. 1 hopes to win his fourth consecutive crown and put the memory of an uninspired French Open final out of his mind. Federer looked whipped that day, and his malaise carried over to Halle, Germany, where he lost as many sets on grass (four) in five matches as he has the last three years at Wimbledon (more on this in Monday’s paper). That said, his winning streak on grass, now tied with Bjorn Borg at 41, will more than likely remain safe for another seven rounds.

Rest assured that Rafael Nadal, the no. 2 seed and official Federer nemesis, won’t take this title away from the world no. 1. Nadal loves Wimbledon – or at least the thought of playing well there – and as Agassi said last week, his fondness “shows you the competitor’s heart he has. Any time you got a ticker like that, you got to leave room for some great things.”

In the future, Nadal might do well on grass, but probably not this year. His strokes lack depth, and his defensive skills, heavy topspin, and fast feet will prove less useful on a surface that better suits relatively flat, forceful strokes. Look for Nadal to hold up better than last year (second round), but don’t expect to see him in the second week.

Other men threaten to upset the favorites. Fourth seed David Nalbandian reached the final here in 2002, and he has much to prove after seemingly solving Federer in Paris before retiring with an injury. Seventh-seeded Ancic played splendidly against Federer at Roland Garros, and he is the last man to beat the master on grass, in 2002. Tomas Berdych, 20, could serve his way into the second week, while Ivan Ljubicic might finally produce grass-court results with his powerful game.

It would be nice to include Agassi in this list of outsiders, but his chances are in another orbit beyond theirs. In the Open Era, only Ken Rosewall has won a major title at Agassi’s age (he won the Australian Open in 1971 and 1972 at the ages of 36 and 37, respectively). In today’s game, where the once unique combination of fitness and size is commonplace, this aging legend has little chance. Enjoy him while you can.

tperrotta@nysun.com