US OPEN

August 30, 2000

Mark Philippoussis

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Mark.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: Yeah, I'm happy about the way I played. I was pumped and ready, this is the US Open. So everyone's gonna give it their all on the court and that's what I did today, I just came out and concentrated on today's match and left everything on the court and I was happy.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: US Open's the only tournament, the Grand Slam, that does that. I knew that from the start I could be playing on Wednesday. So, you know, you're prepared.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: I was just happy. I was positive out there, very relaxed, enjoying myself. I had two loose games (inaudible) -- two times I got broken. Besides that, I just lost a bit of concentration, you know, double break up, and sort of relaxed a little bit too much.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: No. I'm as healthy as I've ever been. So I feel good.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: I've always said Grand Slams are a funny thing, anything can happen. Draws can open up. Main thing is to concentrate on your match. As long as you go out there and concentrate on your match, anything can happen. Things can open up, you can get a little lucky. That doesn't mean that it's a breeze for anyone. But obviously they're tough matches, you know, those guys have played to win. You still got to win to get through.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: Sorry?

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: Not much. I've obviously seen him play a little bit, a Spanish guy, likes to run around his backhand, got a good forehand. Pretty much the same really, they all pretty much play the same game.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: It's surprising. It's not like he's a bad player. He's got a big serve, big kicker, heavy grounders. As you could see the last couple of days with hard court tennis, you can win on hard court. The ball's bouncing up nice and high, it's a little quicker than last year I think. The ball's a little lighter. It's a bit of an advantage for the serve-and-volleyers and the guys that like to attack. But as you saw in last night's match, Spanish players can be dangerous on this court.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: I love them. Ball's bouncing up high, it's quick. It's nice.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: The year I went to the final, I mean, I wasn't seeded. I was taking it match by match. The same thing happened, the draw started to open up, and that's what happened. You know, I never --

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: I think I am, yeah. I feel like I'm more mature. I feel like I'm a lot stronger, physically and mentally. I feel a lot more relaxed. You know, it was great when I got to the final here a couple years ago, and I gained a lot of experience from that. So it definitely helped me.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: Sure. I mean I love playing here. I'm very comfortable in New York. I love playing in front of the crowd. I get good support here. The New York crowd is very vocal, they love their tennis, they're very fair when they're watching the matches. They're enjoying the tennis. They applaud for, you know, both the players when good points have been played. It's very exciting here. There are -- like I said, they're a lot louder than your average tournaments, and I like playing in front of situations like this.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: Yeah. I think besides Australia, I think Wimbledon's number one where a lot of Australians are there, and I think the US Open would be the second one. They obviously come out here to be in New York, have a bit of fun, you know, they really love their tennis.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: You know, I think just, you know, nothing's like changed drastically. Just the same. Just be confident in myself, play my game, just go out there, enjoy my tennis, be happy. That's it. You know, obviously my work ethic has stepped up a couple of notches, and, you know, I've been training on the court before here in Miami, in the 90s, even 100s for two and a half hours during the day when it's the hottest. It definitely feels like it made me a lot stronger. Like today, where I normally think it's hot, it's not as hot as I would normally think it is after last week.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: I pretty much couldn't see. I was playing tennis and I couldn't see the expression on the other guy's face. The ball was blurry until it got to my side of the court. Sometimes I couldn't read the signs, the sponsorship on the fence on the opposite side. I had really -- I was short-sighted. So I thought -- I also had my knee done, my knee surgery in New York. I thought it was the best time to have my eyes done. It pretty much happened where - just before the US Open last year, I played Indianapolis and I played a night match. And I came back from my surgery, I couldn't hardly see anything at night. Especially my night matches were really tough, especially on the returns. I just felt like I couldn't get my eye in. I came over here for the surgery. It's incredible, the difference.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: I tried. I couldn't. It would move around, it was terrible. It used to be a terrible feeling trying to put my fingers in my eyes. I felt like I was trying to pluck out my eyeball or something.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: It's weird. The whole way through the laser treatment your eyes are open. They sticky-tape your eyelids so you can't blink, they numb your eyes so you can't blink. The whole time you're seeing exactly what's happening to your eye. With a laser, they cut off the top of your eye and then they do the surgery and cover it up again. I mean it's weird, the whole time you've got your eye open.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: When it's over, you wear these huge dark glasses, sunglasses, for a few days. You're not allowed to watch TV, which was the worst thing for me. (Laughter.) And pretty much you can't really see that much for the first day. After like a day and a half, two days, I mean I was thinking what the hell was I doing? How could I play tennis before? The change was incredible.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: Around -- probably a week ago last year. Just after Indianapolis.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: Yeah. Obviously, I'm not sure who Jan-Michael Gambill is playing, but anything can happen there. But, you know, I think I will be playing Jan-Michael Gambill.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: Yeah, I played him a few times. He has beaten me a couple of times, so I'm really looking forward to the match on Friday.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: He's a dangerous player. He's always been a dangerous player. His game, he comes out and he hits hard. It's sort of like he pretty much is on, you know, gear five the whole way through from the start, and just rolls in on everything, you know, attacks on a lot of balls. So same with anyone I'm going to play out there. I'm just going to go out there, enjoy my game and concentrate on my game. I feel like if I take my time and, you know, I'm enjoying myself out there, then I'll be dangerous.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: No, I watched a few games. Like I said, it doesn't really make me think much. Like I said, I just go on the court, worry about myself. Obviously it's good to know a few things about your opponent, what to do. But I pretty much just worry about myself.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: Yeah.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: I think he's had some things to worry about for himself, so I haven't been talking to him much.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: Well, to be honest, I feel sorry for her. What is she, 16 still? That's incredible that she's 16, she's got at least, I don't know, 12 years to go. I don't know how long. She's just so young. She should be enjoying herself. I mean, it's tough. She's a great player. She's got a big future ahead of her. It's a shame. It's like, you know, there's enough to think about on the court with your matches and tournaments to distract you.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: Obviously, girls mature faster than guys. At 16, things that are happening to her, to deal with it can definitely be tough. She should be enjoying herself a lot more. When I played mixed doubles with her at Hopman Cup, she doesn't look like a happy 16-year-old girl. She's not. She's not smiling out there. I'd like to see her enjoying herself a little bit more.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: Definitely. I could say it's a different thing. Obviously, yeah, if a member of your family can't be there, it's tough. Especially when her father's been with her from the start, obviously starting her off from tennis.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: No, I don't think that's right. It's her father. He's brought her here, he's helped her with her game, she's here because of him. I think it's just, you know, obviously if he understands things a little bit more, has things explained to him about media and such, when he can go in, when he can't go in, work out something with the WTA, I'm not sure. But I don't think he should be banned, no. It's too harsh.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: I'll be staying in Miami. Yeah.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: It's too difficult being far away, that far away. I won't have a chance to go -- don't have a chance to stay in Melbourne much when I'm on the Tour anyway. It's so easy to stay in America. You know --

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: That was a big part, too. It's not nice going back home, being with your family and having four channels, you know, the press being in front of your house from seven in the morning until four in the afternoon and upsetting your mother and your sister. I can take that. But when it's being put on my family, I don't like that. I have no respect for that. So I'm not going to do that to my parents by moving back.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: Maybe. Maybe.