By KAREN LYON
Saturday 30 December 2000

Sportstoday

Australian tennis star Mark Philippoussis took a swipe at his critics yesterday, saying he now hopes they believe his knee injury is "legitimate".

Philippoussis will miss the entire Australian summer after having surgery to repair torn cartilage in his left knee on Thursday.

"It has been a little frustrating ... especially after Wimbledon this year where I complained of soreness, people have doubted me. Now I hope they realise that everything was legitimate," Philippoussis told a news conference in Melbourne.

"There was never a time where I complained and there was nothing there, it has been there for the past 18 months. Thank God now we have located it and taken care of it."

Philippoussis was first hurt at Wimbledon in 1999 and has been troubled by the knee ever since. He withdrew from the Stockholm Open last month and returned home before Christmas to start his Australian campaign.

On Boxing Day while hitting with coach Peter McNamara, Philippoussis realised the injury was more serious than just knee soreness.

"I am obviously disappointed but I have to be positive, try to work hard and get back," he said. "There is nothing I could have done. I just have to be positive and keep my chin up, come back and make sure there are no problems."

Philippoussis said it was particularly disappointing to miss the Australian Open.

"This is the only one (grand slam) that I'm missing out on, but unfortunately it is the one that I am most looking forward to because it is in Melbourne, it is at home in front of my family and friends," he said.

Philippoussis is likely to stay in Melbourne for two weeks before returning to his base in Miami before the start of the Australian Open in mid-January.

"I wouldn't like to stay here when the tournament starts. It will be a little tough for me to stay watching and listening when the tennis is on," he said.

Philippoussis will also miss the Hopman Cup, the mixed teams' tournament that has become his warm-up event for the Australian summer.

He will be replaced in the cup by Richard Fromberg, after Lleyton Hewitt accepted a wildcard to play in the Australian hardcourt championships in Adelaide, where the South Australian is the defending champion.

Hopman Cup tournament director Paul McNamee had hoped Hewitt, Australia's highest-ranked player, would replace Philippoussis.

But McNamee said yesterday that Hewitt had not accepted the appearance money offered, the same as that offered to Philippoussis, and had asked for an amount that the tournament could not afford.

Philippoussis hopes to return to tennis in eight weeks at a tournament in Memphis. He will also miss Australia's Davis Cup tie in Perth in early February against Ecuador.

But Philippoussis said he was looking forward to future ties after a long talk with new captain John Fitzgerald. "The great thing is (Fitzgerald ) is very open-minded and understanding." he said.