This is getting weird now. Not only is Mark Philippoussis working far harder than he ever has, and chatting animatedly with the media, but the 23-year-old has emptied his vast garage of all but one of his precious sports cars, and plans to move back to a quiet rural property in Australia to live and train.
For more than three years, Philippoussis has been based in Florida with his father, Nick, first in quiet Longboat Key and now in busy Miami, leaving his friends and the rest of his family behind in Melbourne. But after Tuesday's first-round win at Wimbledon over Austrian qualifier Jurgen Melzer, Philippoussis announced his lifestyle was about to change once more.
``Miami was exciting for me as a 22-year-old, when I first moved there. Of course, I mean the nightlife and the atmosphere there is incredible,'' he said. ``But I'm going back to Australia. I want to be with my family and friends. Start concentrating.
``I just want to do my dream, which is I want to buy like 20 acres and build a house. I want two indoor courts, two outdoor courts, all different surfaces, so do all my training there, do everything there. I would like to be in Australia.''
Philippoussis said he would retain a small place in a warm climate in the Northern Hemisphere to use as a retreat for the one or two-week stretches between tournaments when the long trip home was impractical. He said he had consulted new coach Mike DePalmer, with whom he speaks daily, about the decision.
``I told him that sometimes when I'm playing my matches, there are games where my mind will be wandering about things, just stupid things, not even about matches ... but just some stuff at home. It's just frustrating when my mind wouldn't be in the match,'' Philippoussis said.
``I just have too many things outside the court to worry about. Just got to make my life simple. If I know I have a place in Australia, I'm going to train, all my courts are there, be with my family and friends, I know once I get to the matches, to the tournament, I'm going to concentrate and look forward to going home.''
Still intact is his collection of 12 motor bikes, mostly of the sports variety but also three Harley-Davidsons. He estimates he has owned 16 different cars over the past six years, from a Hummer to the Ferrari he has retained and is trying to convince himself to sell. It was just a phase, Philippoussis said, and he is through it.
In his latest stage, as a Wimbledon aspirant, Philippoussis was uncommonly nervous as he started his on-court campaign against Melzer, the 1999 Wimbledon boys' champion. In the past few weeks since teaming up with Boris Becker's former coach DePalmer - Gavin Hopper remains involved but has been downgraded to a mostly fitness-based role, while he has met Becker but the two have not spoken directly for several weeks - Philippoussis has worked harder than ever.
Before, he would have practised for no more than an hour a day; now, it is more like four or five, combined hitting and training, on private courts organised through Becker.
Next in Scud's path is Frenchman Arnaud Di Pasquale, a five-set winner over Markus Hipfl. Tim Henman would be his first seeded opponent, should both last until the fourth round.
Pat Rafter is certainly planning to do so, but was uncomfortable at times with both his serve and the slippery surface in his 6-3, 7-6 (9-7), 6-1 effort against British wildcard Jamie Delgado. Still, Rafter lifted his game encouragingly in the third set and reported no shoulder problems afterwards.
Rafter next plays Davis Cup squadmate Todd Woodbridge, who made the most of his wildcard to defeat Jan Siemerink, but trails Rafter 1-4 overall.
``I haven't always played great against him, the only time I did play real well was here (in 1997),'' Rafter said. ``But I'm just happy to be here at this stage, and certainly I can just go out and gun for him, with not much to lose, and I'm sure he'll be aware of that.''
Jelena Dokic, meanwhile, continues to have problems, and most of them still seem to involve her father, Damir. Returning to Wimbledon to defend the points earned on her stunning run to the quarter-finals last year, Dokic defeated Greta Arn 6-1, 7-6 (9-7) and then continued with her policy of snubbing the Australian media she accuses of betraying her at Melbourne Park in January.
The troubled 17-year-old agreed to one TV interview and another with an international news agency, but the latter degenerated into farce when, despite the protests of officials, Damir Dokic insisted on accompanying his daughter and then proceeded to answer the questions in Serb on her behalf.
Jelena merely translated his words, saying she believed she had played well in recent months despite the pressure she is apparently under from ``the things people say'' and the actions of officials. The pointless interview was called off soon after.
The good news for Dokic is that her path through the draw has been opened by the defeat of her prospective second-round opponent, 13th seed and 1999 Australian Open finalist Amelie Mauresmo, ousted by 47th-ranked Gala Leon Garcia of Spain.
Mauresmo joined fellow women's seeds Sandrine Testud (10), Julie Halard-Decugis (14) and Barbara Schett (15) on the sidelines, along with former finalist Nathalie Tauziat (7), who was beaten in three sets by Lleyton Hewitt's Belgian girlfriend Kim Clijsters and then confirmed her retirement was imminent.
Less of an upset, but still something of a surprise considering recent results, was Jennifer Capriati's defeat of No.16 Dominque Van Roost.
Already out of the men's draw after the completion of one full round are Hewitt (7), Greg Rusedski (14), Nicolas Lapentti (16) and Germany's No.13 Nicolas Kiefer, beaten in four sets by compatriot Tommy Haas. Three-time finalist Goran Ivanisevic logged his worst Wimbledon since his debut in 1988, a four-set failure against France's Arnaud Clement.
Andre Agassi looked a little shaky, too, losing the first set of his match against American qualifier Taylor Dent, the son of former Australian doubles champion and Davis Cup player Phil Dent, but was within two games of victory when Dent retired with a right knee injury. Next for Agassi is what he described as a ``brutal'' second round against US Open finalist Todd Martin.
Miami vice not an option
By TREVOR MARSHALLSEA
29jun00
MARK Philippoussis is selling his 16 sports cars, has put his flash Miami mansion on the market and is moving back to Melbourne in his most dramatic bid yet to fulfill his potential.
The often troubled tennis star has vowed to concentrate more on the "tennis" than the "star".
To achieve that aim he has planned probably the greatest garage sale in the history of sport.
The 23-year-old will offload 16 cars but will keep his beloved Ferrari and probably two four-wheel drives.
The motorbikes -- all 12 -- will stay, but his Miami house valued at several million is on the market.
Philippoussis wants to fulfill his potential by building a dream home/tennis complex near Melbourne.
"I'm going back to Australia. I want to be with my family and friends. Start concentrating," said Philippoussis after his first round win at Wimbledon yesterday.
"I want to buy 20 acres and build a house. Two indoor courts, two outdoor courts, all different surfaces and do all my training there.
"With the lifestyle -- not that I've been doing anything bad -- it's that I haven't been giving myself the opportunity to show my full potential.
"When I was a young kid, I wanted the fast cars. I think it's healthy to go through that phase. I've got that stuff out of my head, out of my system, and now I've just got to concentrate on my tennis."
The changes in Scud's lifestyle is directly linked to his hiring of American Mike DePalmer as his coach a month ago and forging an advisory association with Boris Becker.
Early encouraging signs were in evidence yesterday with his assured four-sets progress through the first round of Wimbledon, a 6-4 7-6 (7-3) 5-7 6-4 win over promising Austrian Jurgen Melzer, last year's junior champion here.
Philippoussis later said DePalmer had told him: "If you want to be a champion, you have to be a champion 24 hours a day. You've got to live like a champion, think like a champion, talk like a champion in order to become one."
With this comes increased training, and Philippoussis surprises even himself with the amount he is putting in since DePalmer and the formidable presence of Becker came on board, replacing Pat Cash as special motivator.
He said old habits have been consigned to the past, such as sleeping until 11am -- the time Becker woke him with his first phone call the day after his French Open fourth round loss last month to Spain's Juan Carlos Ferrero.
"I've been kicked hard up the rear the last couple weeks to train hard," said Philippoussis, who plays France's Arnaud Di Pasquale in the second round.