TM: Mark, you are considered to be a ‘tough guy’. Is it just an impression? Or is it true that you can be really hard to deal with sometimes?

Philippoussis: The journalists always write that. I’m not so ‘easy to handle’ as Patrick Rafter. And I don’t like giving interviews all the time, because I’m not always in the mood for it.

TM: It’s good that you’re in the mood now! But – why do not only journalists but also coaches find it difficult with you?

Philippoussis: Ask the coaches who find it so difficult with me...

TM: Last year you denied to play for Australia. You had an argument with John Newcombe and Tony Roche. You declared yourself unavailable. Now you are making your come-back here at the WTC in Düsseldorf. Why that change?

Philippoussis: I love playing for my country. It’s a great feeling. That’s why I push all the problems aside. I’ll try to win the WTC for Australia. I think this has happened only once so far. 1979 – 20 years ago. I was only 2 years old then.

TM: How did it come to this argument?

Philippoussis: I don’t want to talk about this. It’s only the team’s business.

TM: Who won you back?

Philippoussis: Pat Cash. We had endless discussions about it. He told me that it was wrong not to be available for Australia at international competitions.

TM: It was a surprise to see Pat Cash as your coach.

Philippoussis: It was a surprise for me too! In February, in Memphis, I beat Rios, Enqvist and Chang and won the tournament. I thought, I could beat everyone now. But then, I was loosing week after week and I didn’t know why: I was fit, feeling great, but still loosing. Then came Queen’s and the first-round loss to Jordi Burillo. I was desperate, feeling miserable, I was so frustrated that I wanted to quit Wimbledon and fly back to Florida.

TM: But then you played in Wimbledon and reached the quarterfinals, where you lost to Sampras....

Philippoussis: Yes, thanks to Cashy. When I was feeling so bad at Queen’s I got a letter from him. "I know how you feel", he wrote, "I’ve been through this too. But I came back out of my hole again and won Wimbledon". His tips helped: Think positive, more relaxed, have more fun at tennis. Then, it became clear to me: He would be my coach!

TM: What does Cash do differently?

Philippoussis: We are training a lot – and hard. But, above all, he talks with me.

TM: Did you reach the US Open final in 1998 thanks to his good words?

Philippoussis: Yes, thanks to Cashy and Gavin Hopper. It was like a dream. I played great in New York. Unfortunately, I didn’t make it in the final. I was too tired. Playing two weeks of tennis on such a level is very hard. Especially the slams are a process of learning. This is the experience I took with me from Flushing Meadows.

TM: Was it hard to loose the final to countryman Patrick Rafter?

Philippoussis: Pat is an opponent like anyone else. No, that wasn’t the reason. My game was a disaster.

TM: How is you relationship to him?

Philippoussis: Pat and I are rivals. He wants to become No 1 and so do I. Apart from that, our relationship is okay. Perhaps we’ll win this WTC together. That’d be great.

TM: Who will be No 1 first – Rafter or Philippoussis?

Philippoussis: Hard to say. If I don’t make it, I wish it to be Pat. He’s a good player and a nice guy.

TM: What do you still lack in your game?

Philippoussis: You have to ask Cashy for that. My volley and net game must become better. I’m not consistent enough.

TM: Why isn’t Pat Cash always with you this year?

Philippoussis: He’s got some other jobs too. But he’ll be travelling with me and coaching me as often as he can.

TM: Do you feel Australian or are you ‘multi-Mark’?

Philippoussis: Both. I’m Australian, I love Australia. I was born in Melbourne, I feel Australian. But I also love the States, I spend a part of the year in Florida. I come from a multicultural family. Mother comes from Italy, father is greek. But that’s typical for Melbourne. They say that Melbourne is, after Athens, the second largest greek city in the world.

(almost right, it’s actually the third!)

TM: Another greek name is related to your first big success. 1996 you beat Pete Sampras in Melbourne in a great nightsession-match.

Philippoussis (laughing): Right! Pete has Greek roots too. Maybe Sampras and I should play at the WTC for Greece! That would be a great idea. I’ll talk to Pete about it in Düsseldorf. I believe we would make an undefeatable team.

TM: Is Sampras your idol?

Philippoussis: Yes, in tennis. In life it’s my father. I owe him everything.

TM: What are your goals for 1999?

Philippoussis: I want to get into the Top-10. And I hope to reach a Grand-Slam Final. I’d love to play a final against Pat Rafter. I’m burning for revenge.

TM: Are you not interested in becoming No 1?

Philippoussis: Sure. But if I say that, everyone is going to write again: ‘Phili said, he’ll be No 1’.

TM: You celebrated your first success for Australia at the Hopman Cup in Perth. Hopman Cup is a team competition – just like the WTC in Düsseldorf.

Philippoussis: Winning in Perth was very important to me. I could play many matches there. That’s the advantage of those team competitions. And this is one of the reasons why I’m looking forward to this WTC. It’s also a great warm-up for the French Open in Paris. Also, the final in Düsseldorf will be held on Saturday thus giving the teams an extra day to rest – perfect for us players.

TM: You have won 6 tournaments in your career so far. How many – and which ones – more should there be?

Philippoussis: Sorry, but that’s a really stupid question – all of them of course! However, a triumph at the Australian Open would be the biggest for me. Home in Melbourne. That’d be it.

TM: In the year 2000 the Olympics will be held in Sydney. Another home game for you, like the Australian Open.

Philippoussis: Becoming olympic champion is a great challenge. Take Marc Rosset: He lives from that rumor, although he hasn’t won any tournaments for a long time. But everyone remembers Barcelona ’92 and his legendary match against Jordi Arrese. And everyone will remember the olympic champion Mark Philippoussis.