WIMBLEDON

July 3, 2000

Mark Philippoussis

MODERATOR: Ladies and Gentlemen, first question, please, to Mark.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: Yeah, you know, obviously a little tired, but just happy to get through it, just happy to get through it.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: That was big for me today. It was very important. You know, obviously feeling a little stiff. But once you get your muscles warm, you know, start getting into the match, you know , after the start I had, I'm not normally a fast starter, and after that start I was thinking, "This is too easy." Would have been nice if it kept going like that, got a bit of rest. I knew that wasn't going to last. I just hung in there and pretty much said to myself, you know, "I'm going to leave everything on the court again." That's just the mentality I had for myself.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: You know, just a couple of massages, stay relaxed. Like I said, it's another match. I was pretty much thinking about it point by point. Like I said, I just wanted to leave everything out there again.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: Wake up? Yeah (laughter). Unless I'm still dreaming, I don't know what's happening.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: You know, that was big, obviously, that third set tiebreaker. Got the crowd into it. Tim got pumped. I was extremely frustrated after that tiebreaker. I was very hard on myself. I knew that was important. Like I said, you know, I just hung in there, you know, got a bit lucky in the service games to break him in the fourth, and especially in the fifth with that shank, I was just happy to see it land in.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: Like I said, I definitely didn't want to hit a volley (laughter). Definitely didn't want to see that back.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: You mean, after I got that break?

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: Didn't want to really stretch for too much, giveaway too much on his service games. I just wanted to try and keep it short, just keep my energy and concentrate on my serves.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: Obviously, you know, you try to make some returns because it would be nice to end the match right there, not having the pressure of coming back and serving for it. You know, when I served those three aces, it just takes so much pressure off me. I needed the first couple of points.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: Well, I mean, when I have my rhythm, I'm serving big, I'm feeling confident. If there's anyone who can do anything, it's going to be my next opponent. He's the best returner in the world. He's got extremely quick hand-eye coordination. That's definitely where my serve will be tested.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: I'm not sure. I think that is the first time that I've had back-to-back five-set matches. Like I said, obviously I'm going to feel sore after each match. Then again, I'm going to do the same thing, you know, just take my time, stretch, get a long massage, have a light hit tomorrow, have another massage, just come out and be ready for the next match again. That's all I can do.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: I'm extremely happy the way I played today. I hung in there and I think my serve of got me through at the end. I felt like that match against Sampras, you know, just sort of you could say I was in a zone, you know, where you feel like nothing can sort of break your concentration. You know, you feel like pretty much you're the only two people in that stadium. Everything is blocked out. You can't really explain it. I was definitely in that zone last year. Today I wouldn't quite say I was in the zone, but maybe at the start, maybe I was a little nervous and I came out swinging, you know, got some early breaks. I just hung in there.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: Of course, I was prepared for that. The thing was, they were loud. At some stages when he won that third set, they were loud. I was just saying to myself, "You guys are loud, but you're not as loud as Nice. If I can get through that, I can get through you guys." They're such a great crowd. They understand their tennis. They love their tennis. You know, I got some support out there. I was just very happy.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: Maybe did enter my mind a couple times (laughter).

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: You know, just sort of one set all, tiebreaker, you're trying to get pumped up, you lost that tiebreaker. Like I said, I was frustrated. I kept on holding on to my serve. I was getting tired towards the fourth. I got that break, it sort of gave me some extra momentum, got me pumped again. That fifth set, that whole fifth set, I was tired. Like I said, I was fortunate with a shank which gave me the break. Things like that happen. They can go either way, you know, just got me the match.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: You know, Tim was serving good. I mean, he was serving big and at the lines. His second serves, he was jamming me up, mixing it really well, staying back. I wasn't really sure what he was doing. That game where I broke him, if I recall I hit two forehand winners down the line, which I picked on both of his serves. I played I think a good game to break him there. I was very happy.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: I mean, obviously I'm going to have to be on my game, definitely have to be playing my best tennis, no doubt about that. I have to be prepared to see a lot of -- sort of watch myself hit a lot of volleys from my toes. Like I said, he's the best returner in the game. Definitely one of the best passing shots in the game also. I'm just going to go out there like I did today and play my game, just give it my all again.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: I don't know. Like I said, I'm 23. I feel pretty young. I'm sure I've got a few more in me.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: Yeah, I mean, the three of us, Mike and Gav were on the court, like I said, at least three hours a day doing drills side-to-side, volleying side-to-side drills. I was hitting hundreds of volleys a day, mostly at my toes, and mostly tough. You know, they're the ones obviously that you're going to get most of during the match. The thing today was I missed a lot of easy forehands, maybe I took it a bit too easy. All the work that we've done, it's showing right now that it's paying off.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: I do. I do. It's tough because I've been on a long stretch. It's tough to get that schedule right. I'm not the kind of player that plays a lot of tournaments, especially a lot in a row. I have been playing a lot of tournaments in a row. I like to get back at home and see my family and friends every few tournaments. This European circuit just seems to be dragging along a lot. Just coming in here, all I said to myself is, "Concentrate as hard as can you for one more tournament, give it your all, you can have a bit of a rest."

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: I hope so.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: He's a popular guy. No doubt he's going to have a lot of people on his side. I was lucky, fortunate today. There's no doubt Tim is going to be back next year. He's so talented. He does everything good, from the back, serve-and-volleys. It's a match that could have gone either way. I'm happy it went my way.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: I know, that's why I said "a bit of a rest." At the moment, that's what I'm concentrating on.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: She's a nervous wreck. She's so beautiful, so cute when I come home. Just opens the door, gives me a kiss, has the food ready on the table, tells me how proud she is, how she's upset because they weren't showing my match on TV. She gets very upset if they don't show her son's match on TV.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: I'm sure she was glued in front of the TV. Happy to have my mother with me.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: I haven't spoke to him. He left today, came to the house this morning, then had to go back to Munich. Just had a quick talk. He talked with my father, just said "Well done" about the other match. That's it. We didn't talk about tennis. We spoke about other things.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: Like I said, this is what I'm concentrating on at the moment.