He is "Scud"

His nickname says it all. He iscalled Scud. Only Greg Rusedski serves faster. What more does the 21-year-old player from Melbourne, Australia, need get into the top ten?  Is a big serve all it takes?

Question: You are the second  fastest server on the Tour...

 Philippoussis: I am very proud of  my serve and that is the biggest part of my game. It feels great when  you are playing a match and  suddenly the crowd starts cheering,  because the radar shows that you have hit a new record. I think that I  can hit faster than my 142.3 mph, I
  intend to break my record year after year. However, it does not worry me  too much. It is more fun for me breaking a record like that I enjoy playing in front of my  home crowd
 
Question: Is that all it takes to be a  top player?

Philippoussis: No. I mean, it definitely helps to have a strong  serve, something you can rely
on. It gives you a lot of confidence to know that your opponent will have a hard time breaking you, but you also need a very consistent game in general plus staying in perfect shape. I am a tall guy and it  is quite hard for me to move around on-court like shorter guys. That's why I hired Gavin (Hopper) my fitness coach, he really makes me work hard, but it is paying off.

Question: Are you happy with your game?

Philippoussis: I think my game is  round. I would like to work on a  couple of things, but everything is  pretty good. I just need working on a few things. The main thing is my attitude. I have to determine if I  really want to get into the top or if I was satisfied with staying around
No.20 on the ranking.

 Question: You love to surf when you are back in Australia and you have been known to take your skateboard with you when you  travel...

 Philippoussis: Yes, I do that  sometimes. It is fun and it takes  your mind off tennis.

Question: Talking of getting ones mind off tennis...: How do you  handle the pressure?

Philippoussis: I have been working on that with Gavin as well. I mean three years ago, I felt a lot of  pressure, because in Australia  people were desperate for another  top player. Now that Pat Rafter is in  the top 10, I feel a lot less pressure on myself, because all the attention
 is focused on him.

Question: What is it like to go out on court at a tournament in Australia, where you know you have  the crowd cheering for you. How do  you deal with their expectations?

Philippoussis: It is great. I really enjoy playing in front of my home  crowd. We travel so much throughout the year, that it is very  special for every player, when he  gets a chance to show his  countrymen how he performs, but  once you step on the court the pressure is the
same as on any other court around the world, because you want to give  it 110 percent every time. Even if you do not win the match at least you know that you gave it your best shot.

Question: You are one of the few players, who have won a match against Pete Sampras. How did that feel?

Philippoussis: Actually, I did not  care about that win over Sampras. I  mean, obviously I was on cloud nine after the match. Pete is a great  player and he needs more guys like  Korda pushing him, that is what  makes things exciting. There have  to be some great rivalries to keep
tennis exciting. My goal is to win against a top ten player this year, because I feel that I am
mentally strong enough to do that,  however, I do not want to rush  things, at the moment.