A new, unflattering biography of Alex Rodriguez reportedly says he may have used steroids as early as high school and even after he joined the New York Yankees.

Rodriguez admitted in February to using steroids while with the Texas Rangers from 2001-03, but insisted he stopped before he was traded to the Yankees in February 2004. He brushed off a question yesterday about details from Sports Illustrated writer Selena Roberts' upcoming book "A-Rod" that cast doubt on his earlier statements.

"I'm not going there," he said after homering in an extended spring training intrasquad game in Tampa, Fla. Rodriguez has been rehabbing from hip surgery in March and hasn't played for the Yankees this season.

The Daily News reported yesterday that Roberts' book portrays the three-time AL MVP as a needy personality who wanted his ego stroked constantly and a player who tipped opponents to pitches in blowout games, hoping the favor would get returned someday.

The paper didn't say how it obtained a copy of the Harper Collins book, scheduled for release Monday.

A high school teammate of A-Rod's told Roberts that the future No. 1 draft pick was on steroids as a prep player and his coach knew it — an allegation the coach, Rich Hofman, denied.

"What would be alarming is if somebody didn't work and got a lot bigger," Hofman told The Associated Press last night. "But the fact is, he was the hardest-working guy around. No reason to be alarmed. I was in the weight room, I was in the classroom, I was in the field every day that he was there. And the work ethic was definitely there."

TENNIS

NO. 1 SAFINA CRUISES

Top-ranked Dinara Safina and defending champion Jelena Jankovic won in straight sets yesterday to remain on course to meet in the Porsche Grand Prix semifinals in Stuttgart, Germany.

Safina beat Daniela Hantuchova, 6-4, 6-2, while Jankovic outlasted Germany's Sabine Lisicki, 7-5, 5-7, 6-3, in second-round matches.

FEDERER ADVANCES

Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic both advanced to the Rome Masters quarterfinals with straight-set wins yesterday.

Federer got even for last year's quarterfinal loss to Radek Stepanek by beating the Czech player, 6-4, 6-1. Djokovic routed Tommy Robredo, 6-1, 6-1.

COLLEGE HOOPS

EARLY WITHDRAWAL

College basketball players who declare early for the NBA draft will still get to work out for teams.

They'll just have to do everything much sooner next season.

Yesterday, the NCAA's board of directors approved a measure requiring players to withdraw from the draft by May 8 instead of the current June 15, a move that was supported by several key constituencies for different reasons.

AND WHAT'S MORE ...

The Seattle Seahawks and linebacker Leroy Hill have agreed to a six-year contract worth a guaranteed $15.5 million that could be worth up to $38 million.