MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- Australian Mark Philippoussis is ready to test his surgically repaired left knee as well as his desire to play top-level tennis when he makes his 2001 season debut this week in Memphis.

"The knee is feeling good. They are saying the surgery was a success. I've done all the right things and it's getting stronger, so I just have to knock on wood, but I think I'm ready to play," Philippoussis said during a teleconference Monday.

The second-seeded Australian, nicknamed "Scud" for his missile-like serves, will face Juan Albert Viloca of Spain in the Kroger St. Jude Classic on Tuesday.

It will be his first competitive match since undergoing a second arthroscopic procedure on the knee at the end of December. Philippoussis has been hampered by pain in the knee since he tore the cartilage while

playing Pete Sampras in the 1999 Wimbledon quarterfinals.

"I can't remember the last time I didn't have pain, but it was before my first surgery that was after that Wimbledon," said Philippoussis. "When you're an athlete, it's not every day that you feel 100 percent since there's always something niggling you."

Philippoussis, who ended last season in 11th place on the ATP points race, is planning on giving the knee a serious workout over the next few weeks as he is scheduled to follow Memphis by playing in San Jose, where he is two-time defending champion, Scottsdale, Indian Wells and Miami.

Sampras is the top seed this week, but has played only one event this season -- the Australian Open, where he lost in the fourth round to Todd Martin. A winner here in 1996, he took a wild-card entry into this event and received a first-round bye.

Spanish qualifier Juan Albert Viloca set up a second-round meeting with Philippoussis earlier Monday as he dumped Andre Sa of Brazil, 6-1, 6-4.

Sebastien Lareau of Canada has a second-round meeting with fourth seed Nicolas Lapentti of Ecuador after defeating Edwin Kempes of the Netherlands, 6-4, 7-6 (7-4).

In other first-round action, George Bastl of Switzerland rallied past American Justin Gimelstob, 1-6, 7-6 (7-4), 6-2; Xavier Malisse of Belgium downed Christian Vinck of Germany, 6-3, 7-6 (7-4); and Markus

Hantschk of Germany got past Tomas Zib of the Czech Republic, 2-6, 7-6 (7-5), 7-5.

Adrian Voinea of Romania dismissed Cyril Saulnier of France, 7-6 (7-5), 6-2; Andrei Stoliarov of Russia topped Emilio Benfele Alvarez of Spain, 7-5, 6-4; and 18-year-old Russian Dmitry Tursanov made a successful ATP main draw debut by dispatching fellow qualifier Kevin Kim of the United

States, 6-2, 6-4.

Goran Ivanisevic of Croatia also moved on with a 6-2, 6-4 triumph over Armenia's Sargis Sargsian. Ivanisevic is a three-time Wimbledon finalist who has fallen on hard times recently while recovering from a left shoulder injury.

But the fiery Croatian has been playing better of late. He reached the quarterfinals at the Milan Indoors three weeks ago and the final of a Challenger event in Germany last month.

The top 16 seeds got a bye into the second round.

First prize is $46,800.