Hong Kong, October 4 - Aussie giant goes back to basics

This week's outing at the $375,000 Hong Kong Open is the first Tour tournament test for Mark Philippoussis under the watchful eye of his new coach Peter McNamara, a former Wimbledon doubles winner alongside Paul McNamee in the 1980s.

The second-round Hong Kong contest against Chris Woodruff is No.4 seed Scud’s second match with McNamara and a return to the big-hitter’s Melbourne tennis roots.
Philippoussis hopes that going back to the future will help him establish some consistency in a game in which he has shown plenty of promise (including a US Open final in 1998 against compatriot Patrick Rafter) but has never quite delivered the big rewards.

While the sportscar-loving 23-year-old from the seaside suburb of Williamstown, has gone through a few coaches in his time, he's hoping that the relationship with McNamara will turn his game.
"I've known him since I was 12," said Philippoussis, who grew up in a close-knit Greek-Italian family.
"I felt I needed to get back to my roots and re-capture what got me up there in the game."

The Aussie has taken one title this year, at San Jose in February, and helped Australia over Switzerland in the Davis Cup first round.

But the star that shined so brightly after last December's Davis Cup title against France has dimmed.

Philippoussis has been involved in spats with Davis Cup coaches and teammates and has not made himself available when his nation plays for a second consecutive title in Barcelona against Spain in December.

It's a subject the tennis loner refuses to discuss, hinting only that he feels he's been hard done by from everyone from Pat Rafter to retiring coach John Newcombe.

Philippoussis beat Pete Sampras in five sets in the French Open first round, reached the Wimbledon
quarter-finals and fell to American Jan-Michael Gambill in the second round of the US Open.

His Sydney Olympics performance was also modest: "I played two good matches, and you can't feel too
bad about losing to the eventual gold medallist" (Russian Yevgeny Kafelnikov).

"I had some chances, but the good thing is, at the Olympics, I thought I was playing better. I'm training really hard and just getting back to basics."

McNamara has accompanied his charge to Victoria Park for this week's outdoor hardcourt event.

"I'm feeling positive and I'm looking forward to it," Philippoussis said of his hopes. "I had a good time in Melbourne (before the Games) seeing my friends and family.

"I haven't had a lot of chances to go to Melbourne. It feels very good to start again, I'm happy to be here."

In his opening match, a win over Zimbabwe's Byron Black, Philippoussis played in the heat and humidity of a Hong Kong afternoon.

The Aussie knows he has more potential than he has shown this season.

"I've been side-tracked. I've just gotten back to basics in the last few weeks.

"I went to the Tennis Centre in Melbourne (site of the Australian Open) where I started training when I was 16 and 17. I'm enjoying myself a lot more."

If both advance, Philippoussis could find himself in a semi-final against the 27-year-old Rafter. There’s no love lost between the pair after a summer war of words over the younger player's lack of all-out committment to the Davis Cup cause, the tennis Holy Grail Down Under.