By Richard Hinds

Open and out ... Mark Philippoussis with his battered racket during yesterday's loss. Photo by VINCE CALIGIURI
Mark Philippoussis might have the power but it was Andre Agassi who left with the glory. RICHARD HINDS reports on a classic match decided by a few centimetres.

If he lives to play mixed doubles with Jelena Dokic's great grand-daughter, Mark Philippoussis may never hit the ball better than he did against Andre Agassi in the Rod Laver Arena yesterday - and still lose.

In his rocking chair, Philippoussis will still be wondering what more he could have done to beat the great American.

While the 6-4 7-6 (7-4) 5-7 6-3 scoreline suggests a tough but relatively routine afternoon's work for the top seed, it fails to note that mere centimetres separated Philippoussis from at least a chance of victory. Whether those vital centimetres were the ones by which a couple of important serves missed the lines, or the ones between the Australian's ears, is a subject for conjecture.

The verdict depends on your interpretation of the game's most crucial point. Was it an enormous mental error for Philippoussis to go for a big second serve down the middle on break point in the second game of the fourth set? Or was the resulting double fault a risk Philippoussis had to take if he was to stand a chance against one of the greatest service returners the game has seen?

"I am the kind of player that goes for my shots and it is a risky shot but I feel like I have the confidence to go for it," Philippoussis said. "In that case I just missed it. In the past it has saved me in matches and I have lost matches, but that's the kind of player I am."

The case for the prosecution, however, is equally compelling. It was the way that, for almost the whole game, Philippoussis matched Agassi from the baseline, choosing his moments judiciously and pushing the button on his ballistic groundstrokes only when he had a reasonable target. He did not need to buy cheap points.

"I was a little surprised at his ability to play so solid, because one of the things you can count on when you play a big hitter like Mark is that you're gonna get some of those free points because he is taking chances," Agassi said. "But he was just content to keep the ball in play until he got a really good look and that is a sign of somebody who has really learnt how to play."

It is, in the most important regard, a moot point. Agassi, not Philippoussis, will encounter the guile of Morocco's Hicham Arazi in the quarter-finals, most likely en route to a semi-final showdown with Pete Sampras. When he is playing this well in a grand-slam tournament, Agassi is rarely stopped before the last few days.

However, it is highly relevant for those who wonder if Philippoussis can make the substantial leap from being one of the game's many stars to one of its rare champions. While he seldom shows his emotions, the way he carried himself yesterday suggested he was well aware this match offered the chance to take a substantial step on that difficult journey. Never more so than after he had blown a 4-1 lead in the second-set tie-breaker and turned his racquet into scrap metal by hurling it into the Rebound Ace.

"I had to let some frustration out, otherwise I was going to kill somebody," said Philippoussis, who had also missed a chance to break Agassi's serve after holding three break points earlier in the set.

Agassi, however, did not think he had inflicted a fatal psychological wound. "The guy can make a racquet look like a toothpick. I was just thinking, 'I'm glad I'm not the racquet'," Agassi said.

You could barely begrudge the usually passive Philippoussis his flash of anger. He had played near faultless tennis yet still found himself two sets down. As Pat Rafter found in the Wimbledon semi-final last year where he offered even less resistance, Agassi has a way of messing with an opponent's mind.

Yesterday he did that with the precision of his relatively weak serve (he landed a telling 69 per cent of first serves) and by pouncing on the Philippoussis rockets when he could. Once, Agassi charged at a 206km/h Philippoussis fault in the manner of Dean Jones stepping down the pitch to Curtly Ambrose.

"If you stand back with my size all you are is a target and he'll just blow it by you all day," said Agassi, who was able to manufacture just six break points to Philippoussis' nine, yet made more of them.

It was to Philippoussis' credit that he regained his composure and even his sense of humour in the third set. When he patted an Agassi fault back to a ball boy and some sections of the crowd gasped as if he had just hit a poor shot, he turned and said: "I'm not that bad, I mean, come on."

Few who saw the third set could have made that mistake. Having given back one break of serve, Philippoussis forced a few rare errors from Agassi from the back of the court, snatched the set and suddenly it seemed the game was on. By then, the tennis was so compelling that even the much-anticipated battle of the entourages was forgotten and a call of "C'mon, Steffi" and Anna Kournikova's late arrival in the Philippoussis camp during the third set were about the only times eyes wandered from the court to the players' boxes.

However, the promise of great drama ended in slight anti-climax. Philippoussis' vital double fault in the fourth set opened the narrow gap through which Agassi made a neat escape.

For Philippoussis, victory in front of his home crowd would have further enriched the vein of confidence opened during the Davis Cup final. The manner of his defeat should not necessarily dull the feeling that he has ability to take his place among the game's best, although the rancour caused by his indecision about whether to play this year's opening tie in Switzerland will doubtless create an unwelcome distraction.

For Agassi, in assassin mode, it was just another satisfying notch on the gun handle. "Mark Philippoussis being out of the men's draw helps my chances, let me put it that way," Agassi said.

CONSISTENT AGASSI OVERCOMES BIG-HITTING PHILIPOUSSIS
By Mike Hedge

MELBOURNE, Jan 23 AAP - Precision counter punching proved superior to the king hit on Melbourne Park's centre court today as world No.1 Andre Agassi outsmarted, outplayed and outlasted Mark Philippoussis.

Agassi won the Australian Open fourth-round match 6-4 7-6 (7-4) 5-7 6-3 to advance to a quarter-final against the only man in the championship not to have dropped a set - Hicham Arazi, one of two Moroccans still in the draw.

Agassi described playing Philippoussis as similar to getting into the ring with Mike Tyson "in his prime".

"With Mark you feel that you've got to be solid ... because with every swing of the racquet he can end the point," the Las Vegan said.

The trouble for Philippoussis was that too many of his biggest punches either failed to connect or were taken on the gloves.

The 16th-seeded Australian served 25 aces to eight, but that tally was more than balanced out by 55 unforced errors to 25.

"I can't say I didn't have my chances," Philippoussis said.

He did, but Agassi refused to let him take them.

Philippoussis held break points in both the first and second sets and led 4-1 in the second-set tiebreaker, but failed to put his man down.

Even in the third, when he finally achieved a service break, he handed the advantage back to Agassi before landing a telling blow in the 11th game and going on to take the set.

Philippoussis' frustration exploded at the end of the tiebreaker when he smashed his racquet into the court and earned a code violation.

"I had to let some frustration out, otherwise I was going to kill someone," he said.

Agassi, though, wasn't on the hit list.

The American constantly parried even Philippoussis' biggest serves and was far more consistent off the ground.

He served well himself, but it was discipline more than shot execution that made him the winner.

Philippoussis put it down to experience and paid tribute to Agassi for achieving one of the greatest comebacks in the game.

"Obviously he's experienced," Philippoussis said.

"He's 29 years old and is playing the best tennis of his life.

"It's quite incredible. He is the cleanest hitter of any person I have played."

Across the net, the respect level was also high.

Agassi said he had been surprised that Philippoussis played so solidly in the first two sets.

"One of the things you can count on when you play Mark is that you're going to get some of those free points because he takes chances," he said.

"But I was never quite sure when he was going to take his chance.

"It was a sign of someone who has really learned how to play."

The top seed also offered an opinion on how Philippoussis might improve.

He said that Philippoussis had a "relatively small pocket where he likes the ball".

"He's going to play guys that can get the ball out of that pocket - it's more about experience than anything," he said.

Agassi today managed to extract the ball with skill of a Fagan, which is something he may have to do again against in-form Arazi next up.

Arazi today beat Nicolas Escude of France 6-4 6-3 7-6 (9-7), while the other round 16 winners were unseeded Chris Woodruff and No.3 seed Pete Sampras to set up an all-American quarter-final.

Sampras, a 12-time grand slam champion, beat stubborn Czech Slava Dosedel 6-1 6-2 3-6 6-1 while Woodruff ousted 11th-seeded Brit Tim Henman 7-5 1-6 6-4 3-6 7-4.



PHILIPPOUSSIS' UNLUCKY RUN OF OUTS CONTINUES IN GRAND SLAMS
SYDNEY, Jan 23 AAP

- Mark Philippoussis' fourth-round loss to Andre Agassi at the Australian Open today continued the Victorian's disappointing run of outs against the world's best in grand slams.

Philippoussis has now fallen to either the No.1 seed, defending champion or the eventual tournament winner or finalist ten times in his 18 grand slam appearances.

Pete Sampras has been his greatest nemesis, the former long-time world No.1 standing in Philippoussis' path to grand slam glory an incredible seven times.

Philippoussis' unluckiest year was 1996 when he met Sampras in every grand slam, beating the six-time Wimbledon just once at the Australian Open.

The power-hitter's unfortunate strike rate in the game's biggest tournaments is even worse considering Philippoussis was a wild card in two of his grand slams when he didn't draw a top player.

Philippoussis' big-name conquerers have been:

1995 US Open - third round PETE SAMPRAS, winner.

1996 French Open - fourth round PETE SAMPRAS, No.1 seed.

1996 Wimbledon - second round PETE SAMPRAS, defending champion.

1996 US Open - fourth round PETE SAMPRAS, No.1 seed, defending champion, winner.

1997 French Open - fourth round YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV, defending champion.

1998 Wimbledon - second round PETE SAMPRAS, No.1 seed, defending champion, winner.

1998 US Open - final PAT RAFTER, defending champion, winner.

1999 Australian Open - fourth round THOMAS ENQVIST, finalist.

1999 Wimbledon - quarter-finals PETE SAMPRAS, No.1 seed, defending champion, winner.

2000 Australian Open - fourth round ANDRE AGASSI, No.1 seed.

Agassi blasts Scud from Open
From AAP
23jan00

Andre Agassi eliminated local hope Mark Philippoussis from the Australian Open with a four-set win this afternoon, and Lindsay Davenport is through to the quarter finals after beating Russian Anna Kournikova in straight sets.

Agassi, the supreme opportunist, won the points that mattered most to win 6-4 7-6 (7-4) 5-7 6-3, setting up a quarter-final against Moroccan Hicham Arazi.
The victory left Adelaide teenager Lleyton Hewitt as the only Australian in men's singles.

Hewitt meets Magnus Norman of Sweden tomorrow for a place in the quarter-finals.

Philippoussis had his chances today, but failed the test on the vital points.

He blew a break point in the eighth game of the first set before dropping his own serve the following game to hand Agassi the early advantage.

Agassi, one of only five men to win all four grand slams, fended off another three break points in the second then won six straight points to take the second-set tiebreak 7-4 after trailing 4-1.

Philippoussis took the third 7-5 when he twice broke Agassi after letting slip a 4-2 lead. It was the first time in the tournament that Agassi had dropped a set.

But the Victorian's third-set effort seemed to have taken its toll and Agassi was on the path to victory after breaking Philippoussis' first service game in the fourth set.

Second-seeded woman Lindsay Davenport is into the quarter-finals after overpowering Russian Anna Kournikova in straight sets. Second-seeded woman Lindsay Davenport clinched her encounter with Anna Kournikova 6-4 6-3, and now proceeds to the quarter finals. Earlier, American Jennifer Capriati reached her first grand slam quarter-final in seven years when she beat Switzerland's Patty Schnyder in three sets.

Agassi overwhelms Philippoussis

Copyright © 2000 Nando Media
Copyright © 2000 APonline





By STEVE WILSTEIN

MELBOURNE, Australia (January 23, 2000 1:48 a.m. EST http://www.sportserver.com) - Andre Agassi's cunning and consistency overwhelmed Mark Philippoussis' brute power so thoroughly Sunday that the frustrated Australian smashed his racket into the shape of a gnarled zucchini.

In long rallies that perfectly suited his style, the top-seeded Agassi repeatedly painted Philippoussis into a corner, then put him away to craft a 6-4, 7-6 (4), 5-7, 6-3 victory and reach the quarterfinals of the Australian Open.

Agassi patiently absorbed Philippoussis' 25 aces and waited for chances to attack. Agassi broke Philippoussis' serve only once in the first set, and that was enough. In the second set, neither player yielded on serve, producing a tie-breaker of high drama.

After losing his opening service, Philippoussis swept the next four points, the last with his 18th ace, to put himself in position to tie the match. But Agassi calmly kept up the pressure from the baseline and won the next six points to take the set and spark a moment of rage from Philippoussis.

The 6-4 Australian bellowed in disgust and smacked his racket hard against the court, then kicked the misshapen weapon away.

Philippoussis regained control of his temper enough to win the third set but was helpless as Agassi again drew him into rally mode in the fourth. Agassi committed only 25 unforced errors to Philippoussis' 55.

Agassi next plays Morocco's Hiram Arazi, a 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 (7) victor over Nicolas Escude.

On a good day for American players, Chris Woodruff reached a Grand Slam quarterfinals for the first time in his career, upsetting No. 11 Tim Henman 7-5, 1-6, 6-4, 3-6, 7-5.

Woodruff, a 27-year-old who had never gone beyond the third round in a major, ended 1999 ranked No. 51, a leap from No. 1,342 the previous year. It was the biggest jump on the ATP Tour rankings last year. In 1998, he played only one tournament after sustaining a left knee injury in December 1997 while kicking field goals with Richey Reneberg. At the time of the injury, Woodruff was ranked No. 30.

Woodruff will play the winner of the Pete Sampras-Slava Dosedel match.

Jennifer Capriati, cracking winners with the power and control of her golden teen years, surged to her first Grand Slam quarterfinals since 1993.

Capriati won 20 of the last 22 points in a 6-3, 4-6, 6-1 victory over Patty Schnyder, who knocked off last year's runner-up, Amelie Mauresmo, in the second round.

If Capriati gets past the winner of the match between No. 4 Mary Pierce and Ai Sugiyama, looming as a likely semifinal foe is No. 2 Lindsay Davenport, who beat Anna Kournikova 6-4, 6-3 to reach the quarters.

After starting the tournament ranked No. 21, the 23-year-old Capriati is guaranteed at least a No. 17 ranking.

Capriati, who finished 1998 ranked No. 101, had been as high as No. 6 in 1991 and 1992, when she won the Olympic gold medal in Barcelona. She dropped off the tour for several years, amid much-publicized problems, after three quarterfinal finishes in major tournaments and a first-round loss in the U.S. Open in 1993.

"I finally got past that fourth-round mark that has been stopping me," said Capriati, who lost in that round in the French and U.S. Opens last year. "I feel confident. I'm a lot stronger physically (than in 1993), I'm in better shape, and I have more variety.

"Today I was really put to a test. It's not easy to play somebody like that. I think that's the best I've played so far."

If she isn't fully back to where she was in her good old days, Capriati is close. She's serving consistently at close to 110 mph, ripping returns cleanly, and pounding groundstrokes close to the lines with confidence.

Against the No. 29-ranked Schnyder, Capriati simply wore her down in the third set. Serving at 1-1, Capriati fought off two break-points to start a run of 12 straight points, including a break of Schnyder's serve at love.

Capriati then yielded a couple of points while breaking Schnyder again, and closed out the match at love with an overhead, a brutally hard forehand winner and two errors by Schnyder.

"She just rolled over the top of me," Schnyder said. "She was hitting the ball so hard and deep and making me run. At the end she was just hitting winners everywhere.

"She's been a great player. She can beat anybody."

Davenport's quarterfinal opponent will be No. 9 Julie Halard-Decugis, who advanced when Jana Kandarr pulled out because of a strained hamstring in her left leg.