NEW YORK, Aug 28 AAP - Mark Philippoussis' camp is happy and relaxed but the controversial Melburnian needs a substantial form boost if he's to threaten again at the US Open.
Philippoussis, 23, made his only grand slam final here in 1998, when beaten by compatriot Pat Rafter in four sets.
The 15th seed and the unseeded Rafter are drawn to meet again here in the third round, a match which would be surrounded by intense hype given the pair's recent spat over Philippoussis' unavailability for the Davis Cup semi-final.
For his part, Rafter said yesterday he was oblivious to the possible match-up, insisting he'd looked no further than his first rounder on Tuesday against Galo Blanco.
But first, Philippoussis needs to reverse a disappointing run on the American hardcourt circuit to be sure of even getting past another Spaniard, Albert Portas, and in-form American Jan-Michael Gambill, who he is drawn to meet in the second.
Philippoussis took two weeks off after Wimbledon and has produced only mediocre form in his four North American hardcourt efforts since.
He lost in the second round at Los Angeles to American Justin Gimelstob, in the first at Toronto to Armenian Sargis Sargsian, in the third at Cincinnati to Spaniard Fernando Vicente, and in his first match at Washington two weeks ago to Brazilian Andre Sa.
He has not played 26-year-old Portas before, but should start favourite given his opponent's customarily Spanish preference for clay.
As usual, Philippoussis was not talking to the media prior to the tournament, but coach Gavin Hopper said he was "feeling pretty good" and that his knee was fine.
Rafter, chasing a third title here in four years, has played Blanco once, and defied the Spanish trait by defeating him on clay, in straight sets, in the quarter-finals of the French Open in 1997.
"I just want to play my game and if I do, it should be good enough to win on this surface," said Rafter, who hopes to escape the grand slam tension as much as possible when not on court.
"There's a lot of pressure, a lot of hype. The main thing is trying to contain the amount of excitement you get.
"Grand slams have that feeling where it's very jumpy and nervous, and go-go-go all the time, and the idea is trying to get away from that, and try to relax."
Rafter comes in on a preparation he says may be "too light", his shoulder forcing him to rest after Cincinnati before returning at Long Island last week, where he lost in the second round to American Michael Chang.
Of the three other Australians in "Kangaroo corner" -- the bottom eighth of the draw -- Wayne Arthurs' joy at qualifying may be short lived, as he comes up for a career-first meeting with second seed Brazilian Gustavo Kuerten.
Richard Fromberg will play Swiss Davis Cup player George Bastl for the first time, in a match which will at least break one of the pair's habit of losing in the first round this year.
Jason Stoltenberg has a veterans' duel with Dutchman Jan Siemerink.
The 30-year-olds are 1-1 in career meetings, but the last one was seven long years ago.
In the women's draw, Sydney's Jelena Dokic, ranked 43rd, plays 41st-ranked Israeli Anna Smashnova, while Newcastle qualifier Rachel McQuillan plays Japan's Shinobu Asagoe.
Dokic's current form is less than compelling.
Since making the semi-finals at Wimbledon, she has played only two tournaments -- as per WTA rules restricting young players' schedules -- and has crashed out in the first rounds of both, in the Canadian Open and at New Haven last week.