Perhaps victory is all the sweeter when circumstance works against you. So it was in Nice France, in December last year, when Australia clinched its 27th Davis Cup title with a 3-2 wan over the French.

Pat Rafter was unavailable. The Tie was played on clay. And the Nice Acropolis, as you would expect, was bursting with French pride and passion.

Even before a ball was struck, the turmoil and subplots slowly compiled: a drug-testing furore, a swipe from Guy Forget - Mark Philippoussis would struggle on the slow surface, the French captain declared - and stated French distaste for Lleyton Hewitt's oncourt enthusiasm established a decidedly confrontational environment for the Australians to conquer.

And conquer they did.

Philippoussis perhaps won the most important point of all, trouncing Sebastien Grosjean 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 to gain an important emotional and psychological advantage. In some quarters, Grosjean was a surprise selection, Australian captain John Newcombe believing Nicolas Escude would be named at the draw preceding the final. Yet it was Grosjean who tasted every Philippoussis weapon, the slow court taking little of sting out of the Australian's booming serve and punishing groundstrokes.

As important as it was for the team hopes, it wassa crucial Davis Cup moment for Philippoussis. He entered the Tie having never beaten a top 20 ranked player in Davis Cup competition, and while Grosjean was not a talent of that calibre, the comfort of the victory steeled Philippoussss for the coming challenge.

First, Hewitt - perhaps the hero of the entire campaign, having been unbeaten in live" rubbers to that point had a test of his own. The Adelaide native faced Cedric Pioline, the French trump card and a veteran Davis Cup performer.

Hewitt, 18, was beaten 7-6 (9-7), 7-6 (8-6), 7-5 as Pioline levelled the contest at 1-1. `It's the worse feeling I've had as a tennis player' Hewitt said.

"And I don't ever want to have it again. I hope it (winning the final) doesn't come down to me from a team point of view, but if it does come down to me. I'll handle everything a lot better."

Hewitt had his chances. He twice led the first set after service breaks, but was unable to capitalise on either. He actually served for the first set at 5-4, but the Frenchman's savvy broke for the second time and forced a tiebreak in which he forged to a 5-0 edge. Hewitt fought hard; he pushed the tiebreak to 6 all and at 7-6 served for the set, only to double fault, leaving Pioline to close the set out despite making just one-third of his first serves.

From there, the match got away from the teenager, who was unable to claim the clutch points. The second set came and went as the first, a tiebreak going the home team's way and two double faults in the second game of the third set established a Pioline dominance on the match. He vaulted to a 5-1 advantage, but Hewitt responded, closing to 5-4 with the set back on serve, but he could not draw square.

Game, set, match for Pioline; telling lesson for Hewitt.

"Everything felt so hard today' Hewitt reflected "He played well and he mixed it up well. He's played in a Davis Cup final before and it showed. You can't buy experience"

That adage applied perfectly in the doubles, which as ever in Davis Cup play, proved so important Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde have a proud Davis Cup record raking a 14-2 mark into their show down with Oliver Delaitre and Fabrice Saiiroro.

That, however, counted for naught, as Woodforde explained.

"Even though we hadn't beaten those guys before, so often when Todd and I step into this position, everyone thinks 'the Woodies, they're going to win it'," he said.

"There were lots of ifs and doubts but, for us. I felt like we could do it." Not long into this match, the "ifs and doubts" were justified. Down a set, the Woodies were forced to save five break points to avoid trailing 2-5 in the second set, and faced a French set point two games later.

When Delaitre netted a backhand volley shortly afterwards to tie the set at 5 all, the Australians had their measure. At one stage they won 11 of 13 games, overcoming their early struggles on serve to constantly pressure French errors. The 2-6 7-5 6-2 6-2 scoreline created a 2-1 Tie lead for the Australians, meaning a Phihippoussis win over Pioline or Hewitt over Grosjean would secure the title in the 100th year of the competition.

If Philippoussis' victory over Grosjean was a major injection of confidence, what unfolded against Pioline in Match 4 might well be considered a watershed.

There are few more imposing Davis Cup opponents than Pioline. Enigmatic, talented and passionate, the French linchpin appeared to feel the weight of expectation early in this match. A double fault handed Philippoussis a break in the opening ganme; down 15 - 40 in the ninth game, Pioline repeated the error to surrender the first set.

True to his record, the French star rebounded to secure the second set,

Philippoussis perhaps forcing too much late in the set, but it was to be France's last stand despite the raucous crowd, the quality of his opponent and the magnitude of the occasion, this was a Philippoussis coming of age.

The scorline? 6-3, 5-7, 6-1, 6-2.

`This is the start of the rest of my career' the triumphant Australian said.

In the past, Davis Cup matches have started careers and this is the start for me. This is definitely the biggest win in my career. This is as good a feeling as I've had in tennis.

"I concentrated so well today I knew I had to concentrate so well and block everything out. The horns sounded faint to m~e. The only thing I heard was the ball, the line calls, the heart beating - that's it"

Australia confronted and conquered four of the toughest Davis Cup assignments in the 129 nation competition.

It travelled to Africa and beat 1998 nemesis Zimbabwe 4-1, then overwhelmed the US 4-1 in Boston without Philippoussis. Coming home to Brisbane, Hewitt and Wayne Arthurs played the heroes in a 4-1 whitewash of Russia on grass without Philippoussis and Rafter.

And ultimate triumph saw an Australian tean win a final in Europe, on clay, for the first time in 81 seasons of Davis Cup competition. Captain John Newcombe and coach Tony Roche endured injury, unavailability and the challenge of playing four continents; in total, seven players represented Australia in Davis Cup 1999: Philippoussis, Hewitt, Arthurs, Sandon Stolle, Woodbridge, Woodforde and Rafter.