US OPEN

August 30, 2006

Mark Philippoussis

Q. Must be pretty happy with that performance?
MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: Yeah, I was happy with the way I played. Came out, a little slow, missing some first serves. The bad thing was pretty much didn't take the momentum from the start with that early break.
But from there I felt like, as the match went on, I got a little more comfortable. I played better and better except a couple points here and there to cost me, you know, one service game in each set.

Q. Rafa was just in here. He said if he wasn't playing well today he thought he would have lost. That must give you a lot of confidence that the No. 2 player in the world felt like he needed his best game to beat you today.
MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: It's tough how I played. Obviously, it's my first time to play him. Of course I knew how tough it's gonna be. The guy hits the ball extremely heavy. His footwork is incredible. His positioning out there.
So, you know, I just had to concentrate on what I had to do, and was staying aggressive. Yeah, I was gonna make some unforced errors, but I had to do that in order to at least dictate some of the points out there.
It just as I said, I just want to concentrate on my serve. Couple points here and there cost me.
But all in all, I thought it was a positive match. I could definitely take some positive things away from it.

Q. We haven't seen you much over the last few months. Is that the level you've been playing at?
MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: If I have the chance to, if I'm healthy, yeah. I've been playing good. Just got a little bit unlucky. I bruised my bone on my little toe. Was pretty badly bruised. Took a couple weeks off.
I've been hitting the ball well from Newport. So, yeah, I just want to stay healthy and keep on playing. If I just stay healthy, I've always said that I have no doubt my best tennis is ahead of me.

Q. You see someone like Agassi who is 36. You haven't played much the last few years because of injuries. Does that give you confidence going forward?
MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: Without a doubt. That's a good point. I am 29 years old, but I haven't played for close to four years, probably four or five years. So it's not like, you know, I've been pounding since I was 17 years old and playing 12 years straight. You know, I've only pretty much played, well, you know, good six years I feel like.
And so I definitely have some time ahead of me. So as long as I just do the right things, you know, keep getting fitter and staying healthy.

Q. What was your thought when you saw Nadal's name come out?
MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: I was at up in the Hamptons playing the Huggy Bear. I just thought I was happy. I was happy to play him. You know, it's a good thing just to see where you're at, you know, to play the best guys. I mean, you got definitely puts in perspective about where they're at, where you're at.
It shows you how hard you have to work if you want to be as good as you can or you want to beat some of the best in the world.
I was happy I played him. I was happy I played him. So now I know how hard I have to work. You know, so next time I play him, you know, hopefully it's the outcome is a little different.

Q. What sort of level of tournaments are you looking to play the rest of the year?
MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: I'm gonna sit down with the agent. Yeah, I was in a difficult situation where obviously I couldn't play any tournaments, playing challengers and, you know, when someone was lucky enough to offer me a wildcard, there's no doubt I was going to accept it.
My schedule right now has opened up a little bit more where it's given me more flexibility in what tournaments I could play. Not too much flexibility. I can sit down with him and see what tournaments I can get into to the end of the year. I'm not sure yet, but I'll be playing many tournaments, as many I can towards the end of the year, no doubt.

Q. There was some talk from Tennis Australia that they were interested in maybe getting you down to Argentina for the Davis Cup. Is that something you've given any thought to?
MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: I have always said to you guys from the start that if I'm healthy I will play. I am healthy and I will make myself available.

Q. Have you heard from Fitzy at all?
MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: I've been speaking to Fitzy pretty much close to every day, so, you know, he'll be making the announcement soon.
But, again, I'm healthy, I'm available, and looking forward to it. Whatever happens.

Q. I know it's a tough surface for you. It's a tough surface for Australians in general. Would you welcome the opportunity to go down there and play on that surface against them?
MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: Of course. You know, I've had some good results on clay. It's a tournament where it's a surface where as long as I get some practice, you know, behind, I feel very comfortable.
Whoever goes down there, it's definitely not gonna be easy. But you know what? It's gonna definitely be exciting.

Q. When you look at obviously Nalbandian struggling a little bit today. Coria pulled out. He's injured. They're not as strong maybe as they have been in the last four or five years.
MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: I don't know. They're still pretty strong. You know, you got Nalbandian. You got Calleri playing his best tennis of his career. There's a good chance he's gonna play; he's extremely tough.
Nalbandian is extremely tough. I mean, you've got some guys to back up even if Coria doesn't play. There's guys there's some great depth in Argentina. They're so it doesn't matter who's gonna play, it's gonna be extremely tough.

Q. Would it be exciting for you to get back with Lleyton in terms of the one two punch for Australia?
MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: Yeah, yeah, I'm looking forward to it. Like I said, once we get in the atmosphere I get in the team thing; I love it. I'm a very you know, I love that side. I have a lot of fun. I get on with all the guys.
We've had great memories, so as you've seen, anything can happen in Davis Cup; anyone can beat anyone on any given day, so you never know. We're gonna go down there, we're gonna have fun. We're a great team when we're together. We'll give it everything we have.

Q. Is there some chance of you playing doubles as well?
MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: I don't know. That's up to Fitzy. I don't know. But, like I said, I'm healthy, and I'm just looking forward to it.

Q. Did you have a coach with you here this week?
MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: No, I've been doing work with Moose, Brett Stephens.

Q. It was reported you were doing some work with Peter Mac. Is that the case?
MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: I wanted to. I wanted to, but unfortunately it didn't work out. His schedule, it didn't work out. So, yeah, I was I thought I was going to, but it didn't work out.

Q. Is it something you might do heading towards the summer back home?
MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: With Peter?

Q. Yeah.
MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: I don't think so. With his schedule I think he's tied into the over 45s, so, yeah.

Q. When you look back over your career, do you think being as big as you are physically has maybe made you a little more prone to injury than some of the smaller players?
MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: Without a doubt. I definitely carry a lot more weight than other guys, you know. It has its advantages and disadvantages. You know, the disadvantages are it's I have to take I got to take care of my body so much more than the other guys. You know smaller guys don't carry their weight around. If the body's off at all, you can easy for something to happen with your back or your legs.
So I think it's very important for me to be consistent with my physical work. But it's also tough when I keep getting injured, little niggling injuries. I'm playing well and all of a sudden you play a couple tournaments, out for a few weeks and you come back. It's always the toughest thing when you end up coming back again.
The first two tournaments, as long as you get through them, your body will be stiff. You'll pull up a little. Not a little hurt, but definitely fatigued, your body. As long as you get through the first couple tournaments then you're fine, as long as you build up that base again.
It's been difficult. Even though I feel great, been training hard off the court, the toughest thing is coming back after an injury those first couple tournaments. If I get through that, my body starts building up again.
Definitely a lot of work I want to do on my physical part. I have the rest of the year, and I want to keep building on that so I can start strong the summer, the first part of the year. As long as I just stay consistent.

Q. When was the last time you had that sustained period where you thought you could play, you felt good, where you really didn't have the break with the injuries?
MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: I don't know.

Q. Years, obviously?
MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: 1994 maybe (smiling).
I don't know. Feels like a long time. But, as I said, it is frustrating. But the only thing I could do is wake up in the morning, bounce back, just think about that day, and just go back. That's the only thing you do.
But, you know, I'm feeling good now and, you know, got a few weeks now, a couple weeks before the Davis Cup. Get in the gym. This is a good time now to get some work done, so...

Q. You as hungry as ever?
MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: Oh, definitely. Not only that, I think I'm enjoying my tennis more than ever. I'm enjoying the challenge. For me, that is the biggest thing. For a while there, you know, I lost that. I'm just enjoying playing. I'm enjoying getting on a practice court. Good things for me to look forward to.

Q. What's changed your mentality, do you think?
MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: Uhm, I think just letting go. I think at some stage I wanted it so bad, maybe too bad, I just thought about, you know things way too much. I was like, Screw it. Let's let go, just play. Simple as that. Don't worry if you win or lose, just play. Don't worry about the outcome, just hit the ball. Just taking it back to just real basics.
And that's it. You know, just get on the court and just enjoy myself and just play and just don't get angry and just be happy pretty much, be happy.

Q. Has there been anyone that's helped you with that?
MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: I think there was a time where I needed to spend spend a little time on my own. I think it was probably healthy for me, looking back now. I think everyone just needs to spend a little bit of time on their own sometimes. I did that, and I just kind of found myself where I was just, you know, on my own and training on my own and going to the gym.
I think I just it just clicked without thinking about it now, when I look back. I don't know if there's any particular time, but it clicked.
It's been a while since I was on the practice court by myself and, you know I was on the court by myself, in the gym, and the first few days were tough. And then all of a sudden it just clicked, you know? I don't know. I just enjoyed it.

Q. That was in England?
MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: In San Diego, before England.

Q. And do you feel, you know over the years, obviously there's been so much pressure on you and expectations. Did you feel that more than anyone else almost?
MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: No. I'm pretty good about that. I don't really let anything get to me too much. But, you know, I'm sure at the start, you know, in my late teens, you know, in Australia, obviously the expectations not even Australia, worldwide, too I think in a way I just wasn't mature enough to handle the expectations and ready, more than anything, to handle that.
And, like I said, I don't even think about it anymore. Also thought it was time for me to start to improve my ranking when I'd go somewhere and someone would recognize me and say, "I'm a big fan of yours." Then they'd say, "You're retired, aren't you?"
So after that happened to me for a few times, I'm like, "I better start winning. These people are supporters of mine and they think I've retired. I'd better start being a lot more on TV," you know. I was like, "No, no, I'm not retired. I'm coming back, just watch."

Q. Is there anything you'd like to say to sort of clarify your position with regard to the relationship with your dad and the report he wasn't traveling anymore?
MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: Let me tell you, that stuff's ridiculous. It's frustrating when I hear that stuff because I'm a tennis player and athlete. Someone wants to write about my tennis, great. It's unfortunate when I have to read things about my personal life and my family.
My dad's my dad. He's, you know, been there from the start. Without him, I wouldn't be where I am. There's nothing at all that's happened with my dad. I just needed to spend some time on my own. My dad's still there. I talk to him every day, even before matches. Nothing's changed. I just needed to have some time on my own, simple as that. Simple as that.

Q. Is that also being a function of almost being 30 years old? You're sort of no longer a kid anymore?
MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: Well, yeah. I mean, everyone matures differently, so I'm still a little bit of a kid.
But, yeah, like I said, I mean, you know, you've been on this tour long enough to know your way around. You know the guys. I don't need no one running around trying to find me heat or to put my racquets in, you know what I mean?
I've been on tour for a long, long time, so, like I said, everyone has their time when they need their time alone. For me, it's now.

Q. Is your back okay?
MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: Yeah, my back's fine. My back's fine. Just a little tweak. But, no, it was fine. Fine, thanks.

Q. And the toe obviously is good?
MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: Yeah, it's getting better. Each day it gets better.

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