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THE LIPTON CHAMPIONSHIPSMarch 23, 1997Mark PhilippoussisKEY BISCAYNE, FLORIDA GREG SHARKO: Mark improves to 11 and 3 on the season with his win today, and en route to the win he hit a serve 140 mile an hour in the first set, and 141 in the second. First player on the ATP Tour ever to hit the 140 mile an hour barrier twice in the same match. Might note also he set the all time ATP Tour record of 142 miles an hour serve in Scottsdale on March the 7th. First question for Mark. Q. Mark, where does this end? Where does the speed on the serve end? MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: Hopefully it's not going to end. I'm going to keep on trying to serve harder and harder. Q. Mark, in Tennis Magazine, you helped them with the report on different racquet sizes and speed on the ball. Only a little difference between the wood to the oversized extended racquet. If it's not coming from the equipment, where is it coming from? MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: Well, obviously it's got a lot to do with technique. Body weight into the serve is important. There's also technique and the rhythm on the serve. Q. Were you at all surprised there's only two or three pounds differential between the wood and the current frames? MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: No. I mean, didn't really much think about it. I've had a few serves with each racquet. I mean, obviously you can still hit a hard serve with a wood racquet. Obviously, it doesn't feel as consistent, you can't get the same consistency as the other racquets. You can still crank it up. Q. Mark, you're really playing well this year. Other than the serve, what is it about your game that's come together? MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: Well, I don't think I'm doing anything special. I'm serving good out there, but I feel like my groundstrokes are good also. I mean, I'm not trying to hit every shot for a winner. I'm working for the points. I'm a lot more consistent than I was normally. Q. I'm sure you come in a tournament thinking you can win it or hoping you can win it. What's your feeling now with the draw? What do you see down the line? MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: I haven't even thought about who I was going to play next round until after the match. I just look at the draw to see who I'm playing, talk to the coach, play the match, come off the court and ask who I'm playing next. I just go out there and play match by match. Q. As far as your game, as far as the tournament as a whole. MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: I'm sorry. I feel like every match I'm playing, my game is getting better and better, my serves are getting better, my groundstrokes are getting better. I feel a lot more confident. GREG SHARKO: Anything else for Mark? Q. When you're serving, sometimes do you enjoy serving very hard? Do you want to have a break or higher? MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: I felt like, to tell you the truth, I could have broken it today if I had the new balls, a bit of wind on one end. Obviously when you serve down the middle, it's going to record faster on the deuce side. Sometimes I feel if I got a new ball or something, take my time, if I get the rhythm right, sometimes if you try and serve too hard you lose your rhythm, don't get the speed. I mean, I felt I was serving comfortably out there. I was trying to hit it hard, but didn't really overdo it and lose my rhythm. Q. When you're in control of a match like that, do you start thinking about, "Maybe I can set it a little higher"? MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: Like I say, the balls get fluffy. As they get fluffy, I can still serve 130s. I know I can't really get it up there, so I don't try that much. If I get a new bunch of balls, I'll try. Q. So they better look out when the new balls come out? MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: Yeah, look out (laughter). GREG SHARKO: Thanks, everyone. End of FastScripts.... |
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