sportstoday
By LINDA PEARCE
Monday 20 November 2000
R E L A T E D
Stop the pandering and allow Dokic to leave
Australia's Davis Cup wound shows no immediate signs of healing, with Mark Philippoussis' latest coach, Peter McNamara, claiming rankings points and grand slam titles were higher priorities and advising that Philippoussis would be selective, at best, about his future availability.
McNamara, a member of the Australian Davis Cup team for five years and one of three unsuccessful applicants for the captaincy awarded to John Fitzgerald, was also contemptuous of any suggestion that Philippoussis would be prepared to replace Lleyton Hewitt, who has been struggling with a mystery illness, in next month's final against Spain. "I played Davis Cup for years, and I agree with the fact he should play Davis Cup, but, hang on, they don't want him to play," McNamara said.
"If they want him to play, fair enough, but they don't want him to play. They've come out and said it publicly, as fact.
"We will not play when they have an attitude like that. And just because Lleyton Hewitt's injured, they think they can just walk over and say `well, now, we want Mark to play.' I'm sorry, it doesn't happen like that in the real world."
Philippoussis, the hero of last year's success against France in Nice, stood out of the team in 1998, had to be persuaded to play in this year's first-round tie in Zurich, and missed the following two rounds with injury. He declared his unavailability for the final after support from Hewitt, Patrick Rafter and captain John Newcombe for the winning semi-final squad to remain unchanged.
Philippoussis, who supported McNamara's captaincy campaign, has yet to commit for 2001 under Fitzgerald and new coach Wally Masur. The pair will replace Newcombe and Tony Roche after the final in Barcelona from December8-10.
"A decision will be made on Mark's future," McNamara said in the interview with the BBC in Paris, where Philippoussis was due to play Marat Safin in the final of a Masters Series event overnight. "Now, if that includes the Davis Cup, it includes the Davis Cup. If the dates etcetera don't fit with his schedule then he won't play, or he'll play the matches that do fit in his schedule.
"Now they can take it or leave that, and we'll think about it. But as far as I'm concerned, I want Mark Philippoussis to be (number) five or three or four in the world. I want him to win a grand slam. I want him to be the best player he can be.
"OK, Davis Cup mightn't be in that schedule to be the best he can be. This is a professional game. It's not about just being proud about playing for Australia. We are proud to play for Australia, but let's turn it around and look after your own interests for a change, not the interests of John Newcombe and Tony Roche."
McNamara last month began his second stint as Philippoussis' coach. Holding a 10-11 record in 21cup appearances from 1980, the UK-based Victorian was a member of the panel that appointed Newcombe in 1994, but twice in three years he has failed in attempts to win the top job.
Denying there was any personal rift with Rafter or Hewitt, McNamara said Philippoussis "did his bit" in last year's final, winning two of Australia's three rubbers. But after saying his charge "may play Davis Cup again, who knows?" McNamara virtually ruled out participation in Australia's likely quarter-final trip to Brazil in April.
"If Mark wants to get into the top five in the world, he can't be going to Brazil and playing on clay," McNamara said. "It takes him three weeks to get over that, then there's three weeks out of his schedule, so the ranking goes down again. I care about Mark Philippoussis and Mark Philippoussis should care about himself, so no Davis Cup."