Sep. 19,  97 in Washington

You played Pete many times. How would you rate his performance today?

Philippoussis: Obviously, you know, I knew what I was expecting today. Main thing was I didn't want to be nervous. I wanted to get out there fresh from the start. That is the opposite thing I did. I went out there. I was nervous. My feet weren't moving. It took me two sets to start playing. And, it is THE No. 1 guy, you can't expect to be two sets to Love down. You have got to get on top of him early.
 

Did you feel pressure on yourself at 0-1 in the Tie, you had to win this match?

Philippoussis: Well, obviously, you think about that, but then again, I am not expecting to beat Pete out there. I was just trying to go out there and have fun. I mean, I settled down in the third great. I was having fun out there and just wanted to try get into a fourth set; never know what can happen.
 

What was it? What was the turning point that brought you back so strongly in that third set?
Philippoussis: Well, I mean, two sets to Love behind me, I just wanted to put those two sets behind. I started to feel relaxed towards the end of the second; started to feel a bit better and then being 1-Love up in the third and came down to Johnny said, fine, you are leading in the match, I was 1-Love up and sort of a bit of a relief being 1-Love up instead of playing from behind all the time. So I think that was a good thing.
 

Did you feel your serve was working a little better for you later on than the early stages of the match?
Philippoussis: Yeah, I felt like I served good in the third set.
First and second I think maybe I was trying a bit too hard and my ball toss wasn't good and I wasn't using my feet enough and I was missing way too many first serves and just putting pressure on my second serve.
 

Do you anticipate or is there a dialogue within you about backing your serve up with more aggressive play and more moving forward kind of, say, the way Pat does, especially seeing the success he is having?
Philippoussis: Well, I think I feel pretty comfortable with my game. And if you are not going -- if your feet are not working and it doesn't matter, you know, what you are going to do. I feel comfortable. I have been working extremely hard on my all-around game and I feel like I have got to serve -- in that second set I was -- first and second I wasn't moving my feet. I wasn't in position. I was missing a lot of shots, but in the third set my feet were going good and I was feeling confident with my groundstrokes. I don't feel like I am just a serve player. Hopefully I have sort of pointed it out after winning a clay court tournament that I haven't just got a serve.
 

I mean, backing it up with coming behind your serve a little frequently or --
Philippoussis: It all depends, if you are getting killed from the back of the court, you have got to come in definitely. But, I feel like I am -- I feel like I serve and volley; I like to stay back too. I mean, when I was hitting my groundstrokes too, I felt confident from the baseline.
 

Mark, you played Pete a few times in Grand Slams. Is it a lot different playing him in Davis Cup?
Philippoussis: Yeah, you could obviously see what was happening. It was a bit of a circus. I was expecting that. I mean, I felt great out there. The crowd was going nuts, but that is what you look forward to. That is what Davis Cup is all about. So it didn't bother me.
 

Team's chances now being 2-0, how do you feel about the rest of the Tie now where you are at?
Newcombe: Well, not as good as I did at five to 11 this morning. This is five matches, Davis Cup. I thought that there were periods when Pat played pretty well today. He had a lapse of about eight games when Michael played extremely well and that turned that match around. So -- and Mark, as he said, first two sets, he started off really slow and Pete is such -- obviously a great player; when he saw Mark was a little bit off, Pete was really rushing to get every game he could under his belt to really dominate and get on top of Mark.
I have got to give Mark a lot of credit, he came back. He had a set point in the third set at 5-4. He had Love-30 at 6-5 and he was right in the tiebreak. Had he won the third set, I thought he really had a good chance taking that match to five sets. I feel good about Mark now. He has got the bad stuff out of the way those, first two sets, that if he has to play the decider in the fifth, he will be terrific from point one. So, we are down. We are in trouble, but, the fat lady hasn't called for the limo yet and the gargled water hasn't been brought out there yet, so there is a long way to go.
 

Anything in particular that you said to Mark just before the third set to bring him back into it?
Newcombe: As Mark said, you know, I mean, it was a combination of two things. Mark was nervous and Pete sensed that and jumped all over him and it was like -- he was down two sets, or a set and a break before he could sort of get a gasp and that is the mark of a true champion in Pete, that he did that.
So, you know, by the end of the second set it was more Mark, you know, where we are in a lot of trouble out here, just try to get your feet, try to get moving, get a feel of what is happening, get into some rallies, get your game going and you know, let us have a little bit of fun with it and so we had a little bit of a joke when he was Love up in the third, "Now we had him where we wanted to; now we are ahead."
" First two sets really didn't happen, it was a nightmare."
Mark relaxed and started doing what he can do. But, you know, he got held off. But he almost won that third set.
 

John, of course you were delighted by Pat's success at the Open, I am sure. But, at the same time, knowing that Pete did not win there, knowing that Chang had some revenge to take care of, were you at all thinking that the US team would be even more stronger?
Newcombe: These guys are not No. 1 and 2 in the world for nothing. And, one of the things about being that good is that you have got a great competitive nature. And, I know from being at the top, you hate to see anyone else coming up and trying to knock you off the perch. So, there is that whole aspect of the game is added to this Tie. And, you know, so they will be doing that. If we can manage to win the doubles tomorrow, Sunday is going to be pretty fascinating first singles match and if something happens there for us, the fifth one will be something to watch.
 

Who do you expect to see playing doubles for the US tomorrow?

Newcombe: Sampras and Courier.
 

John, did you think Rafter should have won his match?

Newcombe: No. That would be -- I didn't think anybody should win the match. Pat has just become No. 3 in the world. Michael been No. 2 or No. 3 for quite sometime and Pete, you know, has been No. 1 for five years. Michael has been in the top 10 for what, five six years or something like that. So, I mean, Pat was that much in that match today, don't worry about that (indicating about an inch). I have never seen Michael serve as well on his first serve as he did today and on the big points.
 

How would you feel if it came down to you Sunday afternoon?
Newcombe: Bring it on.

Philippoussis: Bring it on, yeah, I mean, we are looking forward to the Woodies playing, you know, the best doubles pair in the world. So, hopefully, we will be feeling confident about that. Be looking to have a relaxing session tomorrow and just get ready for -- Pat is going to play the fourth match. If he wins that, then there is a decider, so we will still have to worry about that.
 

Mark, you said it was a bit of a circus out there. Toward the end of the match Pete started show-boating a little bit and encouraging the crowd. How did you feel about that?
Philippoussis: Well, I mean, that is what he should do. That is why people have advantage of playing at home in front of their home crowd. Americans were enjoying themselves out there; got No. 1, 2 players playing, I think, first time in a long time in Davis Cup and they are just cheering their guys on. That is what is supposed to happen.
 

John, if you expect Sampras to play doubles tomorrow, that is the same as saying you expect him to play doubles all along no matter what happened?
Newcombe: Well, I think that Gully's option was always to play Pete in doubles. That was his first option and I think now we are going to look at today and see if Pete had a long drawn out match and if it was 1-All and he really had a tough match out there, probably would have thought twice about it.
I have got to tell you, guys, you know, Pete gets a wrap by the media and that for not being like intense. That is the first -- I have called a lot of matches for Pete on TV, first time I have been right down in the trenches. I don't see anyone -- I have seen a lot of players as intense, but not too many more. There is a lot of stuff going on down there that you don't see when you are little bit away from that crowd. That is a very intense man out there.
 

Like what, what sort of things are going on?
Newcombe: Just the intensity in the face and in his eyes and little noises that are coming out that you don't hear when you are up in the crowd. There is a lot going on there, isn't there, Mark? You can feel it coming at you.

Philippoussis: Whoosh whoosh. (laughter).
 

Mark, do you have any particular advice for Pat in his match against Pete?
Philippoussis: Let us hope for a better start, Pat. Like I said, I mean, that is going to be a totally different game for Pete. Pat is going to constant pressure on Pete and going to have to do a lot of passing and going to have to return better and I mean, Pat has just got a great serve. He is playing the best tennis of his life and he is volleying great, so it is going to be extremely interesting if the Woodies do win tomorrow.
 

How confident are you about tomorrow's doubles?
Newcombe: Well, I have always said it is a 50/50 match. I think it is going to be a great doubles match. You have got a great doubles pair against an all-time singles player and if it is Courier or someone who has been No. 1 for a couple of years, so you have got two great individuals playing against a great doubles pair. That is a classic matchup. I mean, it is not that much fun sitting down in the trenches, but it is going to be a lot of fun just watching some of the points. I am really looking forward to it. I think it is a 50/50 thing. I have said that all along.
 

The experience of your team doesn't give you edge?

Newcombe: I think the longer the match goes on the, you know, I am going to feel more and more comfortable. Once our boys get into the match, get their teeth in it; get a chance to show their doubles's expertise, what they have got to watch out is that the other pair will try and blow them away before they can get into it and, you know, move the ball around and as they can in doubles, so, the encounter is going to be fascinating to watch.
 

In the third set of the Chang/Rafter, did you have any words with Pat and did it surprise you? Did the momentum sort of turn around there; Rafter was up 2-Love after winning 6-1, Michael kind of came back and it just sort of got away from Pat there. Did you have any coach's words with him or how did you see that evolve, that evolution of that set?

Newcombe: It was 3-1, Love-30, and at 3-2 Pat came around and he doublefaulted the first point and he just suddenly went a little bit flat. And took the pressure off and Michael sensed his opportunity as he does. He is terrific sensing what his opponent is up to at the other end. And, he jumped on it. It was that period of the match that was the difference in the match. In that 8 game period is where Pat bought all the trouble.
When he was 4-1, 2 breaks down, I still felt that Pat could get back. He has got -- he is playing great. He has got a good game to play against Michael. If he hadn't been able to get the second break back and draw it level and got into a fifth, I really felt good because I felt Pat could play a little bit better and I felt that Michael had already just played his best tennis in the middle part of the match. So, he wasn't going to be able to play any better. If you look at it and say, hey, we are two sets all and the other guy has played as good as he can play, you like your chances in the fifth under those conditions.
 

How would you rate the crowd in DC? This is a big event for them.

Newcombe: I thought it was pretty good. I mean, apart from a few idiots which you are always going to get in a large crowd, we expect cheering for the home country. But, you know, overall, it was fair. I mean, that is good -- as Mark said, that is what Davis Cup is all about. That is part of the fun of being able to try to win when 95% of the people are hoping you are going to lose.
 

John, you compared this to the 1953 Tie. Do you think you are going to be able to overcome?

Newcombe: It will be a hell of a comeback, wouldn't it?
 

It happened.

Newcombe: 2-Love it was 9 in 39. We are down 2-Love and won against the United States. So, it has happened before and we have got a shot at each of the three remaining matches, so we are not walking down with our heads down.