I would like to congratulate the Australian Davis Cup Team on a fine victory over Uzbekistan in Townsville in September. We now await with considerable interest the draw for 1999 - the Centenary year of Davis Cup to see what challenges it brings.

Undoubtedly, the first challenge is to ensure our best possible team is available to play, whatever country the draw may produce. The depth of men's tennis and the spread of nations represented in the top rankings of the ATP Tour means there is no easy match, even in the first round, as witnessed in Mildura earlier this year.

Events over the past fortnight have produced very many positives for Australian tennis, but, unfortunately, a few negatives. On the one hand, the US Open provided an all-Australian Grand Slam final in New York for the first time since 1970 (when Ken Rosewall played Tony Roche) and the first all-Australian Grand Slam final anywhere since the 1976 Australian Open (when Mark Edmondson played John Newcombe).

 On the other hand one player, Mark Philippoussis, is currently unavailable to represent his country. The events surrounding his decision not to play, both earlier in the year and again this month, have been heavily reported, unfortunately sometimes to the detriment of both Mark and the other Australian players.

 Tennis Australia has no favorites among our players and offers the same assistance to them all. How players utilise this offer will obviously vary, depending on their own circumstances, such as what tournaments they play and whether they have a personal coach or trainer.

 Our coaching team consists of John Newcombe as Davis Cup captain, Tony Roche as Davis Cup coach, Lesley Bowrey as Fed Cup captain/coach, Craig Miller as national men's coach, John Trickey as national women's coach, Ann Quinn as director of coach development, Mark Waters as men's trainer and David Misson as women's trainer It is a world class team, the envy of other nations.

The selection of Newcombe and Roche to the dual positions of Davis Cup captain and coach respectively was designed to bring a tremendous wealth of experience to our elite male players.

Newcombe was Australia's last world No.1 ranked player and brings considerable tactical, motivational and media experience to the Team. Roche is the only living Australian to have coached a world No.1 ranked player and is universally liked and admired. All Australian players have benefited from his coaching and he is clearly devoted to seeing them all reach their full potential.

 Tennis Australia is very keen for the dispute between Mark Philippoussis, Tennis Australia and the Davis Cup team to be behind us. Naturally, Tennis Australia wants to provide assistance to All our players and, in turn, hopes that the Best Australian players at any one time will be available to represent this country.

 Tennis Australia will continue to use its best Endeavours to achieve that end. Tony Roche, as Davis Cup coach, was justifiably supportive of Pat Rafter as an Australian player and as a member of the current Davis Cup team and was in New York primarily to prepare players for the important Tie against Uzbekistan, which immediately followed the US Open.

 However, we can also understand why Mark, as an Australian player and as a member of the Olympic Athlete Program which is an additional responsibility of Tony's on behalf of Tennis Australia was disappointed immediately post-match.

The main thing now is to move on and continue the success of Mark, Pat and other Australian players as witnessed at the US Open.