Agassi reveals dope fling

“Then I come to the central lie of the letter,” Agassi writes. “I say that recently I drank accidentally from one of Slim’s spiked sodas,unwittingly ingesting his drugs. I ask for understanding and leniency and hastily sign it: Sincerely.

“I feel ashamed,of course. I promise myself that this lie is the end of it.”

Agassi said the ATP reviewed the case,accepted his explanation and threw it out.

ATP spokesman Nicola Arzani said Wednesday he would not comment “at the moment,” and the International Tennis Federation’s Emily Bevan referred all questions to the ATP.

Agassi retired in 2006. Excerpts from his autobiography,which comes out November 9,are being published this week in the London newspaper,as well as Sports Illustrated and People magazines.

According to the Times of London Web site,Agassi writes in his book that “Slim” was the person who introduced him to crystal meth,dumping a small pile of powder on the coffee table.

“I snort some. I ease back on the couch and consider the Rubicon I’ve just crossed,” Agassi writes. “There is a moment of regret,followed by vast sadness. Then comes a tidal wave of euphoria that sweeps away every negative thought in my head. I’ve never felt so alive,so hopeful — and I’ve never felt such energy.

“I’m seized by a desperate desire to clean. I go tearing around my house,cleaning it from top to bottom. I dust the furniture. I scour the tub. I make the beds.”

Among the most successful —

and,without a doubt,one of the most popular — tennis players in history,Agassi drew attention not just for his play,but also for his outfits,his hairstyles and his relationships with women,including a failed marriage to actress Brooke Shields.

Agassi’s first major championship came at Wimbledon in 1992,and he won a gold medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. But by late 1997,he dropped to No. 141 in the rankings,and he was playing in tennis’s equivalent of the minor leagues.

He resuscitated his career in 1998,making the biggest one-year jump into the top 10 in the history of the ATP rankings. The next season,he won the French Open to complete a career Grand Slam,then added a second career US Open title en route to finishing 1999 at No 1.

After an exhibition match Sunday at Macau against longtime rival Pete Sampras,Agassi was asked if his autobiography contained any major revelations.

“I think I had to learn a lot about myself through the process,” Agassi said. “There was a lot that even surprised me. So to think that one won’t be surprised by it,it would be an understatement.”

In a posting on People’s Web site,Agassi says he “was worried for a moment,but not for long,” about how fans would react if they found out he used drugs.