Play or quit, Pat tells Scud
By LINDA PEARCE in London

Pat Rafter has accused Mark Philippoussis of "jerking around" his sometime Davis Cup teammates and called for the hero of last year's final to speak honestly about his commitment to the team, or not be selected again.

Davis Cup captain John Newcombe had earlier refused to speak openly about Philippoussis's withdrawal from the semi-final against Brazil, which starts in Brisbane on Friday, so as not to detract from the occasion of Rafter's Wimbledon
final.

But, after losing to Pete Sampras in four sets, Rafter had no such qualms.

"Just say something," Rafter urged Philippoussis, who withdrew from the match citing tiredness and a sore knee and is now back home in Melbourne. "If you don't enjoy playing, that's fine. I don't have a problem with that.

"He [Philippoussis] has a problem either with the players, with playing for Australia, or Davis Cup. I have no idea.

"Just tell us what it is, then we can leave it alone. We don't have a problem with that, but just don't say you're going to play and pull out.

"It's disappointing. I guess he doesn't feel like playing Davis Cup. I just wish he'd come out and say something, how he's feeling, just clear the air.

"I'd respect him a lot more for it than jerking it around, telling us he's going to play then not showing up to play.

"It's always 50-50. Even though he says he's playing, you always think it's 50-50."

Rafter, who is now required to play in Friday's opening singles, just two days after arriving home from a gruelling two-week campaign at the All England Club, said he would not approach Philippoussis to clear the air yet again.

"If he wants to make contact, he can. I've had enough of it," he said.

Philippoussis's management, Octagon Worldwide, and personal manager John McCurdy refused to return calls to AAP.

McCurdy later issued a statement on television accusing Rafter of being "uninformed" about Philippoussis's situation.

"Nick [his father] and Mark are disappointed at his comments and feel Pat Rafter is uninformed," McCurdy said.

"As previously stated, Mark has withdrawn due to inflammation in his left knee."

Newcombe, who named doubles specialist Sandon Stolle as Philippoussis's replacement, said he called the reluctant Victorian on Saturday after it had been rumoured for some time that he had decided not to play. Newcombe said he had relied on assurances to the contrary from Nick Philippoussis.

"He's feeling really tired and his knee was troubling him again," Newcombe said.

"We obviously hadn't named him in the team without checking to see that he was available, which I did a number of times with Nick, and that was why he was named in the team.

"I was hearing other things, but I just can only go on what I'm told.

"I really don't want to get into it. I've given you the reason that Mark gave me and that's all I want to say. I don't want to say what I feel one way or the other.

"Everybody can make their own assumptions, and as far as I'm concerned, I want to wait until Pat's finished with what he's doing. That should be the thing that's getting the attention."

Newcombe said the late confirmation meant first-choice replacement Todd Woodbridge was unavailable, having made plans to attend a memorial service in Ireland for golfer Payne Stewart.

Stolle will play doubles only if Rafter is exhausted by a long singles match on Friday and unable to partner Mark Woodforde on Saturday while remaining fresh for a possible reverse singles.

Asked whether he had expected the regular dramas involving Philippoussis and Davis Cup to be over after the 23-year-old's successful role in December's final against France, Newcombe replied, "Mmm".

Later, he stressed: "I'm not going to get involved in a negative atmosphere like we got caught up in before."

Newcombe was equally definite about the likely consequences of any misfortune befalling one of his two remaining singles players, Rafter or Lleyton Hewitt. "If someone's injured now, we're in deep s---," he said.

The final-year captain said he believed Australia's chances against Gustavo Kuerten's Brazil had dipped from 60 percent to just over 50 percent as a result of Philippoussis's decision and his players' late arrival in Brisbane.

"Normally we're there before any other team, have a long preparation, and this time we're going to have about two days," he said.

Newcombe flew out of London on Sunday night as scheduled, despite the fact the men's final ran so late, and Hewitt was also detained for the delayed mixed doubles final.