US OPEN

September 12, 1998

Mark Philippoussis

Q. Often people refer to your game as "one-dimensional." How much have you lifted the other aspects of your game besides your serve to get to this point?

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: I've been working extremely hard on my all-around game. You know, I've been spending a lot more hours on the court than normal. You know, just working on all parts of my game. I don't like to rely on my serve only. I feel confident on the back of the court and coming in, too.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: No, I wouldn't say the best. I would say the toughest -- one of the toughest I've played. I concentrated extremely well. I applied the pressure on him. He felt the pressure. I just served great, you know, on my services games and consistent.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: I don't remember saying that. Well, I don't think I meant to say that that way. I'm sure I'm concentrating on my serve -- sorry, on my tennis. I mean, it came out wrong.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: I'm excited, but not overly excited. I've still got one match to go. I don't want to -- you know, I was just relieved. Had two match points. He got back to deuce. Just relieved to put that volley away. So I'm looking forward to tomorrow now, concentrating on tomorrow. I've got one more match to go.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: My attacking part, chip and charging, applying the pressure. I'm a lot more consistent than I have been. My movement around the net is great at the moment.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: Yeah, to be honest. I just keep my head leveled. I feel great out there. I honestly feel like no one can beat me. I just worry about my serve. When they're serving, just apply the pressure. One or two shots -- you know, I go for a lot of shots, and I feel unbeatable, definitely.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: Well, I mean, first Pete. The guy's obviously a top player. He's No. 1 in the world. He can do everything. He serves, hits from the back. No matter who I play, Pete or Pat, I'm just going to play the same game. You know, I feel like if I serve the way I am, volleying the way I am, I feel like that, you know, it's going to be tough to break me. And then, you know, when it comes to their serves, I'll just apply the pressure.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: Well, that was a couple years ago. I was like -- how old was I then? 18, 19? That's one of those nights where I was in a zone. I was just hitting winners everywhere. That happens. Today, it's not like I played the same way. I played -- like I said, I played tough today. You know, I was just in a bit of a zone. But I just was, you know, applying the pressure, coming into the net, just making him pass me. You know, if he can pass me three sets, that's too good.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: Well, you know, when I go into any tournament, I go into it to win the tournament, or else there's no point in playing. I'm not going to go out there, "Okay, if I lose in the quarters, I'm happy." That's ridiculous. I know what I'm capable of doing. When I play some good tennis, you know, I can win this thing. It's the US Open, and I can win it. I know I can do that. Like I said before, I want to prove that.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: I was a bit frustrated. With all respect to Carlos, I did nothing wrong. I hit some great returns. He had some great volleys from his shoelaces, great pickups. You know, I didn't do much wrong at all on those. I just had to hang in there and just wait, and it happened.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: No. I'm not scared at all. I'm playing some great tennis at the moment. I'm only 21 years of age.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: I mean, I think Pat's handled it well, to be quite honest. I'm not sure. I'm just going to go through life the same way that I am now. I'm pretty much living in Florida right now. I love it there myself. I'll be away from Australia, you know, just enjoying life, just relaxing.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: It put me off. I wouldn't say a weakness, because I feel confident in my passing shots. I mean, it's tough also someone coming in. But there are a lot of passing shots I should have made. It's just that bit of surprise behind it, to be honest. Like if I know someone's coming in, it's different; I'm ready for it. But he surprised me a lot when he started coming in.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: Yeah, it's great. Joined up after Queen's. It's been going well. So far we have a good relationship going. It's good to have him in the team.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: Definitely. I'm learning every day. Every year I get more experienced. That's one of the things that's going to come. Like I said, I'm a late maturer. Definitely, you know, patience is going to come.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: I double-faulted (laughter).

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: Why? Well, to be honest, I didn't have too bad of a second serve. They weren't too bad. Maybe I should have had a bit more height over the net. But there were two net cords which went out, which was a bit unlucky.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: There's no reason why. I mean, Pat's playing -- he's probably -- just as good if not better tennis than he did last year. It's going to be great. Obviously, a lot of people in Australia are going to be very happy. You know, that's just great.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: Well, I mean, Australian tennis isn't doing too bad now. Pat's been playing some great tennis. He lost two matches only on the summer coming into the US Open. You know, I think tennis in Australia -- Australian tennis has been doing great for a couple of years.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: Well, like I said, that match did a lot for me. Probably I think it did mature me a lot more, definitely quicker. I definitely preferred playing a match like that, tiebreaker in the fifth, than winning in straight sets. I just feel a little better about myself, about coming back, having the guts to come back, know knowing that I can do it.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: Yeah. I mean, you know, I just -- I felt great out there, even though it was a long match. I knew just hang in there point by point, just play your game, just like I did the other night.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: Well, when I played him in Canada, I think that was a bit too much emotion for myself in that match. I definitely wasn't concentrating well. It was a tough match, like you said, to play. And, yeah, it was just tough, you know. Probably a kick in the ass is what I needed to wake me up. And he definitely, you know, did that.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: Well, it's a different match. I've got a lot of respect for Pat. He's playing some great tennis. You know, I think he's going to be another player out there. There's going to be respect, but not too much respect. When we go out there, obviously it's for the US Open title, so it's going to be different.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: No. I've joked a bit with his brother. But, no, not really. He's still got to concentrate on one more match, playing Pete Sampras. That's going to be a great one to watch.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: We came -- we started speaking pretty much during the summer. You know, I mean we've always been speaking, but obviously it wasn't as warm as it was in the past. But, you know, obviously we've put a lot of things behind us. We both understand that we're both young and we've got a lot of years ahead of us, Davis Cup matches and that. We have to, you know -- myself especially had to put things aside.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: It's pretty much all rhythm. I can tell straightaway when I walk out there if I've got rhythm or not. I felt it today at the practice session that my serve was there. Like I said, when I'm serving like that, and I'm holding my serve so comfortably, you can try a lot more things when I'm returning. You can go for a lot more shots and try different things.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: I feel very confident, yes.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: I mean, I don't want to get into that. That's just silly. I'm just going to laugh at that. All I've got to say is for him to wake up to himself.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: Yeah.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: Well, I mean, that match I won a few nights ago, it was very emotional to get through that. Just now that I've got a high expectations of myself. So it's not like -- you know, it's like, yeah, I'm in the final. Obviously I'm very happy. But I know that I can win it. So, you know, the party hasn't started yet. You know, hopefully on Sunday night.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: I made a decision not to play. I stuck by that. You know, something like that can make me a stronger person, which it has. A lot of negative things I turned positive for myself. I pumped myself up. I train a lot harder. That's what's happened.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: Uh-huh.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: I don't know. Probably after I got my hair cut off losing in Queen's. I mean, I was in a bad state of my life there. I was really upset, having doubts whether to play Wimbledon. I just thought, I'm fortunate to be doing what I am at such a young age. I started working extremely hard. You know, ever since after Wimbledon, I've pretty much doubled my hours nearly on the court. I just really tried to knuckle down. I think, to be honest, maybe a lot had to do with Pat doing well. He's had a lot of success, but it's just because he worked so hard. I mean, the guy gives a lot of hours on the court. You know, I think that opened my eyes up. You know, I know I've got a lot of talent, but I've got to show it. It's not going to come out unless I work hard. That's what I'm willing to do and I have been doing.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: New man, that's right, new player.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: Yeah, I see him before matches. He says good luck, says hello. You know, that's how it is. I mean, I'm just -- I'm concentrating on what I have to do this week, which is play good tennis. That's what's in my mind at the moment, nothing else.