yahoo.com

24 February 2001

MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE (TICKER) -- In a tight match, Mark Philippoussis of Australia utilized his powerful serve to provide the difference.

Philippoussis fired 26 aces past Tommy Haas -- the final one on match point -- and moved into his first ATP final of the year by defeating the German, 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (7-5), Saturday at the Kroger St. Jude tennis event.

Philippoussis' opponent in the final will be determined Saturday night when ninth seed Davide Sanguinetti of Italy meets doubles specialist Sebastien Lareau of Canada.

It has been quite a season debut for the 24-year-old Philippoussis in his comeback from off season knee surgery. The second seed has not dropped a set in his four wins this week and will seek his ninth career

singles title on Sunday. He took the title here in 1998.

Haas, the third seed, lost for the third time in four meetings with Philippoussis and fell short in capturing his second title at this event in three years.

On Friday, Sanguinetti defeated American Chris Woodruff in straight sets to move within one win of his third career final. The 28-year-old started 2001 with five straight losses before turning his fortunes around this week, including an upset of former champion Michael Chang of the United States in the third round.

Lareau reached his first singles semifinal since 1998 by upsetting No. 12 Jason Stoltenberg of Australia in straight sets on Friday.

A winner of 17 doubles titles, the 27-year-old Lareau is appearing in his third career singles semifinal and first since Hong Kong in 1998. He took on a new coach in Dan Aubuchon two weeks ago and it has paid immediate dividends.

This will be the first meeting between Sanguinetti and Lareau.

First prize is $46,800.

By Alex Kennison

atptennis.com/memphis

24 February 2001

Second seed Mark Philippoussis stormed into the final of the Kroger St. Jude with a 7-6(5), 7-6(5) victory over Germany's Tommy Haas in Memphis.

The Australian, playing in his first tournament of the year following knee surgery last December, sealed the win with his 26th ace of the 1-hour, 44-minute match.

He will now be gunning for his ninth career ATP title in Sunday's final, where he will meet either Canada's Sebastien Lareau or Davide Sanguinetti of Italy.

"I was very pleased to get through today," said the 24-year-old Miami resident. "I knew it was going to be a tough match as Tommy has already won one tournament this year [in Adelaide]. But I was hitting the ball well, and I just hung in and kept my nose in front in the tie-breaks."

Philippoussis, who reached the final of his last tournament at the Tennis Masters Series Paris in November but lost a fifth set tie-break to Marat Safin, came through in two tie-breaks against Haas in Tennessee.

In a match that combined big serving with some punishing baseline rallies, the New Balls Please stars and former Memphis champions went toe-to-toe during their fourth career meeting. The Australian now leads their head-to-head series 3-1.

With both players comfortably holding serve, the opening set inevitably went to the tie-break, where Philippoussis forged a 6-2 lead. But with a final place at stake, the tension began to take its toll as Haas saved the first set point and Philippoussis hit two double faults to let the German back into the tie-break. It proved only a temporary setback as Philippoussis finally took the set in 52 minutes.

It was a similar story in the second set, as both players tried in vain to find a chink in his opponent's armor. And as Philippoussis stormed into another commanding lead in the tie-break, Haas saved two match points before the Australian sealed victory with a 129 mph ace.

Aussie holds off Haas by taking pair of tiebreakers

By Phil Stukenborg

The Commercial Appeal

25 February 2001

Shortly after Australian Mark Philippoussis underwent knee surgery in late December, he targeted the Kroger St. Jude as his return to the ATP tour.

What he couldn't have imagined when he circled the event on his calendar was how easily he would re-acclimate himself to tournament play. Or how well his knee would respond.

In the semifinals of the $800,000 ATP event Saturday at The Racquet Club, Philippoussis, showing no side effects of the surgery that repaired torn cartilage in his left knee, defeated No. 3 seed Tommy Haas, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (5).

Philippoussis, the No. 2 seed, moved into today's 1 p.m. final against either Italian Davide Sanguinetti or Canadian Sebastien Lareau, who played the late semifinal.

As he has throughout the tournament, Philippoussis moved easily, served with authority and won the big points. He has not dropped a set in four matches.

"Obviously, I'm very pleased,'' Philippoussis said. "The surgeon really didn't think I would be back this early. But I got on the court a week after my surgery, just by pushing it a lot. I was eager to get back.''

Philippoussis, 24, said his rigorous workout routine in Florida and the decision to change coaches last fall have contributed as well to an impressive return. Philippoussis hired former tour player Peter McNamara in October.

"He has made me realize I have a lot of weaknesses in my game and that I have to work to take that next step,'' Philippoussis said.

One aspect of his game that never has been weak, his serve, carried him throughout the match against Haas, the 1999 Memphis champ.

Philippoussis had 26 aces and on the rare occasions he faced break points against Haas, his serve rescued him.

In the first set, Philippoussis faced a critical break point. Serving at 5-6, he netted a backhand after a long rally to give Haas his only break point of the set. But Philippoussis recovered by following a powerful forehand winner with back-to-back aces.

In the second set, Philippoussis was serving at 2-all when an errant backhand led to another break point chance for Haas. But two service winners and a 125-mph ace saved Philippoussis.

"As you saw, he had a lot of aces when he had to come up with a big serve,'' Haas said.

As much as Philippoussis's serve bailed him out, it was Haas's erratic play in the tiebreakers that also contributed to Philippoussis advancing.

Haas had two double faults, a poorly struck return and struggled to get in a first serve in the first-set tiebreaker. Philippoussis, after two double faults himself, won the set when a Haas forehand landed wide. Haas disagreed with the call and tossed his racket at his courtside bag before slamming his red baseball cap to the court.

In the second-set tiebreaker, Haas grabbed a 3-1 lead, but then dropped five straight points, including back-to-back mini-breaks on a double fault and an unforced forehand error. Philippoussis won the match on a 129-mph ace, his fastest serve of the semifinal.

Haas, who reached the Kroger St. Jude semifinals for the second straight year, was unbeaten in 10 tiebreakers a year ago, but that record did not intimidate Philippoussis.

"Against Philippoussis, you have to accept the chance that you will go into a tiebreaker, especially if you are serving well yourself,'' Haas said.

Haas entered the tournament one month after winning a warmup Australian Open event at Adelaide.

"I knew it was going to be a tough one (against Haas),'' Philippoussis said. "He already had a win in a tournament this year, so things were going well. I had a feeling it was going to come down to tiebreakers. I just hung in there and came away with it.''