John Newcombe on Mark Philippoussis

Tennis Magazine , February 1997    Picture of Mark


Q: What is Philippoussis's potential impact in 1997?

A: Given good health, I would expect Mark to be in the top 10 at this time next

year.



Q: What is his greatest strength?

A: He has a lot of big weapons, he can hurt you with a lot of shots, and he

volleys well.



Q: Weakness?

A: At age 20, Mark is still at the stage of putting his package together.

Because he has so many weapons and he's such a tall guy, it just takes a bit

longer for the package to be completed. He has had a tendency, and he's

gradually developing out of this, to try the wrong shot from the wrong part

of the court. The other thing is keeping his concentration at a high level

throughout a match. I think if he does those two things, then he's really

going to climb up the ladder, and quickly.



Q: Finish this sentence: I knew Mark Philippoussis was going to be great when .

A: I first saw him play a real match. In January 1994 I watched him play an

exhibition against Henri Leconte at the National Tennis Centre in Melbourne

in front of a big crowd. Leconte beat him, but only just, and all the shots

were there.



Q: What's the one thing that might work against him in the long run?