Tennis.com

November 5, 2000

Mark Philippoussis lost a pillow fight last night and and was knocked out of his match with Wayne Ferreira today. Though the 6-foot-4, 202-pound Philippoussis will never be characterized as a feather weight, it was a night-long battle with a soft feathery pillow that sidelined Philippoussis with a pain in the neck. The 12th-seeded Philippoussis took the court for his match against Ferreira in the Tennis Masters Series-Stuttgart, but withdrew after the first game due to the stiff neck. It is believed to be the first time a player has withdrawn from a Masters Series event due to an injury exerted by an excessively soft pillow. I just woke up, went to bed, woke up with a stiff neck, Philippoussis said. It actually happens to me not very often, but it does happen to me. I have had a history of it. I have an awkward way of sleeping. I sleep on my stomach. You know, I guess the pillow is really soft here at the hotel. It just happens. I woke up with a stiff neck. I came here in the morning at 10:30. I saw the doctor. I put two anesthetics in my backside, down low, for my back, then I put three in my neck. Felt a lot better. Ground strokes weren't too bad, but as soon as I went to serve, I can't lift my head. As soon as I go to lift my head to serve, if the serve goes in, I try to hit a groundstroke, everything locks up. No chance. It is the second time in a year that a pillow case provided a disappointing verdict on court for Philippoussis, who acknowledged his pillow-related injuries have met with skepticism from the press in the past. It's happened in the past before, Philippoussis said. I was lucky enough that it happened once that I had a night match, and I had it mobilized, it got better, loosened up towards the end so I was able to play. Being second match, I had no chance (today). According to Philippoussis his last pillow-related injury produced his controversial withdrawal from the Colonial Classic in January, shortly before he was set to take the court for the final against Andre Agassi. Tournament organizers were so upset with Philippoussis refusal to take treatment from the tournament doctor and his subsequent withdrawal from that event that they have not invited him back. You know, last time it happened was at the Colonial Classic this year, Philippoussis said. I woke up in the morning to play Andre in the final, it happened. What pisses me off, you have people that don't believe you, that think that I just didn't want to play because I wanted to get ready for the Australian Open, which is extremely frustrating. The ongoing pillow fights have proven to be more than a pain in the neck for Philippoussis. I just hope now that these people who made these comments can realize that it happens, The Australian said. I've never, ever pulled out of a match intentionally. I've played lots of times with pain. But this, I can't do anything out there. These things happen. They should know that. I hope now they can just think about what they're saying before they say it.