ALBANY — Who could have envisioned Anna Kournikova being a voice of wisdom and maturity among the ranks of pro tennis?

Sports Illustrated recently wrote a “Where Are They Now” piece about Kournikova, all of 27 years old and not exactly a hermit who had to be hunted down in a cave somewhere for the article.

On Tuesday, she showed up promptly for a

4 p.m. press conference — “Discipline,” she said to the appreciative media — then played her third match of the season for the St. Louis Aces, a 25-13 loss to the New York Buzz at the Washington Avenue Armory.

Kournikova was in the tennis headlines a few weeks ago when American player Justin Gimelstob went on a nasty radio rant about her and some women on the world tour, calling them “sexpots,” for which he was suspended by World TeamTennis and issued a public apology.

By now, this kind of attention slides right off Kournikova, who doesn’t play on tour anymore, but stays busy with public appearances, charity work, a little WTT and plenty of the fun life in her adopted home in south Florida.

“I don’t have to prove anything to anybody or try to change anybody’s opinion,” she said.

“Everybody’s entitled to their opinion. People can jump to conclusions just from hearing stuff or reading all this stuff in the press, and sometimes, the press dramatizes it or makes it a little out of proportion, but a true tennis fan knows what I’ve achieved, what kind of results I’ve had on the tennis court. And I know that, and that’s the important thing, as long as I know, for myself, and that I’m satisfied. That’s all that matters. I’m not out there to try to change anybody’s opinion or judgment or their perception of me.”

Kournikova is best known for having won two Australian Open doubles titles, in 1999 and 2002, and nothing else. She’s been named one of the world’s sexiest people by magazines who keep track of that sort of thing, and has been the constant subject of off-the-court rumors concerning her love life, but her tennis career, once so promising, never lived up to the expectations of most observers.

She’s still a draw, though. The 2,200-seat

Armory was about 75 percent full, and Kourn­ikova doesn’t mind basking in her undying popularity.

“I’ve had the most loyal and supportive fans, and I’m happy that they do come, and not just for me, but to come and watch tennis,” she said. “I love to get young kids and teenagers involved in the sport.

“I like everything about team tennis. The format is perfect for me, personally, because obviously, I’m not full-time on the tour. It’s great to be back in front of fans on the tennis court. It’s an amazing format for the fans, because you get to see men’s, women’s, singles, doubles, mixed, all in three hours in one even­ing. It’s really crowd-friendly.”

Kournikova didn’t help the Aces much, losing to Yaroslava Shved­ova and Gabriela Navratilova in women’s doubles, 5-2, with Jasmin Woehr, then losing mixed doubles with Travis Rettenmaier, 5-2, to

Shvedova and Nathan Healey in the first two sets.

Kournikova would have been well within her rights to blast Gimelstob, but she chose to not make any more issue out of it than was necessary.

She got used to the limelight a long time ago.

“Obviously, I’m human, so I guess I was affected to some degree, but if somebody had been through all the stuff that I have been, it really doesn’t bother me,” she said. “I’ve been in the public spotlight since I was 10 years old, so it’s something that I’m used to, and I’ve got a thick skin. I’ve never been out here, ever, to try to change somebody’s perception of me. It’s impossible to do, and as long as I’m OK and live my life the way I want to, it’s fine. Sometimes, it does get a little bit weird and strange, but at the end of the day, I don’t focus on that. I don’t think about it.”

Kournikova joked that she’s “old now,” drawing some skep­tical laughs from the media.

She has gained a philosophical view of her life and career, something that took years to develop.

“I hope that I’m not the same, like when I was 18 or 16, and who in their right mind would ever listen to a 16- or 18-year-old girl, talking about stuff?” she said. “How do you guys even print what young kids say? You’re a kid. I know I’ve changed, I know that I’ve grown, and you learn from experience and hopefully, learn from your mistakes. You just get more patient and tolerant with yourself, with other people. Life goes on. In three years I’ll be 30, then 35, and hopefully, I’ll learn even more and move on.”

The Buzz, who won all five sets to improve to 9-4, extended their lead to 15-8 after Healey defeated Uladzimir Ignatik, 5-4, finishing the set with a devilish drop-shot winner.

Shvedova came back from a 3-1 deficit to beat Jelena Pandzic, 5-3, to give New York a 20-11 lead.

The Buzz have clinched a playoff berth heading into tonight’s reg­ular-season finale against Delaware at the Armory.

New York Buzz 25, St. Louis Aces 13

Women’s doubles: Yaroslava Shvedova-Gabriela Navratilova (NY) def. Anna Kournikova-Jasmin Woehr, 5-2. Mixed doubles: Nathan Healey-Shvedova (NY) def. Kournikova-Travis Rettenmaier, 5-2. Men’s singles: Healey (NY) def. Uladzimir Ignatik, 5-4. Women’s singles: Shvedova (NY) def. Jelena Pandzic, 5-3. Men’s doubles: Healey-Patrick Briaud (NY) def. Ignatik-Rettenmaier, 5-2.