US OPEN

August 31, 2005

Mark Philippoussis

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Mark.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: It's all mentally. You know, I've been working hard off the court, very hard. You nailed it right on the head, it's all mentally, definitely.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: Well, I'll do whatever it takes, you know, whatever I have to do obviously. You know, everyone has their own opinion. Obviously, I'll do whatever it takes to get back and be where I want to be.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: Of course. It's not like I've got too much pride to play challengers. It's ridiculous. Of course. If I have to do that, then I have to do that.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: I think nowadays, everyone can serve one at 120-something, 130 miles an hour with the technology of the racquets, they're all getting in the gym a little more. Everyone can slap one and serve pretty big. But, yeah, there's a lot more guys out there that can definitely put out the pace when they have to.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: Like I said, I'm on the court. I'm training, you know, four, five hours on the court. I've been on and off. I've been hitting the ball great in practice. As soon as it comes in the match, it's all mental. I've just got to go out and keep at it. Simple as that. These things happen. You know, just have to keep at it and keep positive. Only thing I can do.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: Definitely lacking confidence. It's definitely what I'm lacking.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: Yeah, I did. The thing with Kucera, it's not like he's going to go out there and blow me away. I was in every single point. As I said, in my practices I was going in, stepping in, hitting shots, whatever, serve and volleying, chipping and charging. When you haven't played for a long time, get there, unfortunately I wasn't as free to do that. I just felt restricted. I guess, you know, I put a little pressure on myself. I let it get to me a little bit. Then my feet stopped moving. It's all downhill from there, unfortunately.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: No.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: Definitely, definitely, my father. Obviously, Lance Armstrong has been a big thing. I've been reading his books. Definitely Andre, still out there at his age. I don't really lack the desire to be out there. I definitely want to be out there or else I wouldn't be training four, five hours a day. I still have it in me. I still want it.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: I do. I think about that pretty much every day. You know, it's been a few months where I've been watching that match sometimes, try to think back on how I felt on the court, what I was thinking. Yeah, I can definitely remember back and thinking I didn't have too many worries at that stage. You know, you're 18, 19, you're so free, you're so pumped. I think everything's great at that stage. Then life kicks in, I guess (smiling).

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: No, not yet. Engaged.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: Yeah.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: I've got some tournaments in Asia, playing. I've got to sit down and look at it, you know, whether there's some challengers I can definitely play. You know, just try and pretty much finish the year as strong as I can and start fresh next year. It definitely feels like it's been a long way for me. I've just got to stay positive and stay at it. I'm very positive that I've got a good three, four years in my career. You know, I'm only 28. Physically I'm feeling good.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: Of course. Definitely get the ranking up and just play matches. I can't expect to go out there when I haven't been winning, a month, month and a half later and win matches. It's not going to happen. It doesn't matter how hard you work. It's going to take matches. It's going to take losses. I've got to go out there and hit the ball and even lose matches, going out there and hitting it. As long as I go out there playing my game, I'd rather lose matches that way, you know, by going for it a little bit. I'll try to get my confidence up. It will come. I know it will.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: I tried. You know, I tried to slow it up a little bit, to slice it to his forehand. He started mixing it up a little bit. I tried to mix it up. I tried to serve and volley. Like I said, this game is so mental, you know. When you're not there, then you put pressure on yourself, a lot of things can happen. My legs -- like I said, my legs weren't moving. I was just a little tense out there. I was trying. Just it all comes down to confidence. That's all it comes down to. I just got to play matches and matches and matches and it will just click in.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: There's nothing concrete yet. Like I said, I've got to go and sit down. I've got some tournaments in Asia I'm playing. From then on, whether it's going to try to play some quallies or try and play some challengers, I don't know yet.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: Definitely. I wouldn't be playing the game. Like I said, I wouldn't be on the court, like I said, three hours, two and a half, working out like two hours if I didn't want to and I didn't enjoy it, definitely.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: So many things. I mean, it was so inspiring. It was definitely the best book I've ever read. Just what he went through. I mean, it was incredible what that guy went through. Just shows you anything's possible. You know, things have been obviously a lot more positive in my career. But, like I said, I've just got to be positive. As long as I believe what I can do, that's the only thing that matters for me. I don't really care what everyone else thinks.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: You know, I was training pretty hard before Wimbledon. When I got there, I did well. Rosmalen, got to the semis, hitting the ball well. Unfortunately, I got a flared-up tendon. It's kind of frustrating that way where I work hard and I get there, my confidence starts kicking in, I start playing some good tennis, winning some matches, get to the semis, I'm on a roll, then that happens. The toughest thing is mentally coming back from that because physically I know I'm going to rest, I'm going to get strong again, I'll be back. The mental part starts taking a toll on you. You start thinking, "You know what, here I go again. I've got to start all over again. Don't worry about it." That definitely takes a toll. That's the biggest thing.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: Probably 2003, you know, because by then, after that, you know, it's been on and off. My confidence dropped. I had injuries on and off pretty much for a year and a half. It's definitely been a little frustrating.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: Exactly when, that's tough. We don't exactly have the best schedule in sports.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: Of course it is. No doubt about that. This is one part of my life that's still not over, that I'd like to finish before I start the next part of my life.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: Well, everyone's beatable. Everyone's beatable on any given day. Obviously there's no doubt about it, Roger's the man. He's playing with so much confidence. I don't think he at any time thinks he can lose, he's got that much confidence. There's one thing that Lleyton does, he also thinks the same thing. It's a long way for both of them till the semifinals. Who knows. But if he gets there, he definitely has a chance of winning. No one's unbeatable.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: Yeah, it's tough to say. I mean, the matches he's played against Roger have been great matches. He's definitely had some chances in them, too. I think he was up a set in some of them. The last time I think I remember was semifinals of Davis Cup, he was down two sets to love and came back. He can definitely beat him.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: I don't know if it's intimidating. You definitely know you can have an extremely hard time out there, like I said. The guy's got every shot in the book. He's pretty much playing it every time he's going out there. He's so relaxed and so confident, it just shows. Like I think it showed last night with Muller and Roddick. Anyone can win on any given day.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: We definitely looked at that. We sat down. That's what I did for the past month. I just went and worked every day. Now I'm wearing ankle straps on both of my ankles. Knock on wood, that's going to help me, prevent hopefully anything from happening.