(dailysoccer.news)

By Matthew Cronin
SAN JOSE, California, Feb 12 (Reuters) - Fighting off a
boisterous crowd and an American tennis hero, defending champion
Mark Philippoussis out-gutted fifth seed Jim Courier 4-6 6-3 6-4
in the semifinals of the $375,000 Sybase Open on Saturday.
The second-seeded Philippoussis will face surprise finalist
Mikael Tillstrom of Sweden, who upset seventh seed Wayne Ferreira
7-6 (9-7) 2-6 6-3.
In knocking off Courier, Philippoussis played two extremely
impressive games to close out the match. At 4-4 in the third set
after Courier double-faulted at deuce, the big Aussie ripped an
approach shot down the line and closed out the game with a sharp
forehand volley.
"You can't give Mark that kind of a look at a second serve
because you are going to pay for it," Courier said. "I didn't
serve well at all. If you told me I was going to break him three
times I would have said I would win the match in straight sets. I
didn't do my job."
Serving for the match at 5-4, the 6-foot-4 (1.93 metres)
Philippoussis nearly caused a power outage inside the San Jose
Arena with a devastating serving display: a service winner, a 131
mph (211 kph) ace, a 138 mph (222 kph) ace, a 134 mph (216 kph)
ace. The 138 mph (222 kph) was the fastest serve recorded on the
ATP Tour this year.
"He has a tendency when he's closing match out or when he's
behind to serve bigger," Courier said. "I was expecting him to
serve huge in the last game and he did."
Philippoussis crushed 37 winners in the match, including 13
aces. "It takes lot of pressure off myself to get the first in.
I had good rhythm going and I wanted to finish it off,"
Philippoussis said. "I didn't want to get to 15-15 or 30-30 and
give him a chance to get into it."
Courier stood toe-toe with his foe from the baseline but
could never match his prowess around the net.
"He can hit a winner from anywhere or he can make strange
errors and hit a winner out of nowhere. He's very explosive,"
said Courier.
"He's playing a little bit more conservative than he used to
and sometimes will take some pace off his serve. Whatever [his
coaches] Gavin Hopper and Pat Cash are doing with him is
working."
Tillstrom -- an unassuming 27-year-old Swede who has had a
quintessential journeyman's career -- unleashed his big
low-slinging forehand and sharp crosscourt backhand in subduing
Ferreira.
The South African blew numerous chances in the third set,
frequently dumping his backhand into the net and failing to
convert volleys.
"I felt in charge the whole time but I didn't use my
opportunities," said Ferreira, who committed 27 unforced errors
in the match. "I always felt like I had a chance to break him but
I couldn't put it together. I just couldn't get through."
Tillstrom, who has won only one title in his nine-year
career, is not exactly a household name. With a career-high
ranking of 31st and a quiet manner, few fans outside Sweden could
distinguish his mop haircut from that of countryman Thomas
Enqvist or hundreds of other Swedish 20-somethings.
"If people want to know something about me, they'll have to
come out and watch my game," said Tillstrom, who admired Swedish
great Mats Wilander growing up. However, he plays with much more
power but far fewer tricks in his bag than his hero. "I want to
be at the highest level now, that's where the attention is."
Courier said that Philippoussis is the definitive favourite.
"The match is on Mark's racket, win or lose," Courier said.
"If he plays well he'll win. Tillstrom is playing well but if
Mark serves and returns well I don't see how Tillstrom will beat
him."
Philippoussis said he would be upset if he doesn't defend his
title.
"I'm going out there to defend my title as well as I can," he
said. "I'm not the kind of person who gets to the final and says,
'I don't care if I win.' I'm sure it's the same for him. I'm
playing better all the time and he'll have to earn the match. I'm
not going down easy."

Philippoussis smashed 37 winners in the match, including 13 aces.

"It takes lot of pressure off myself to get the first in. I had good rhythm going and I wanted to finish it off," Philippoussis said. "I didn't want to get to 15-15 or 30-30 and give him a chance to get into it."

Courier said he didn’t serve well at all.

"If you told me I was going to break him three times I would have said I would win the match in straight sets. I didn't do my job," he said

Serving for the match at 5-4, Philippoussis produced the fastest serve recorded on the tour this summer at 222 kph.

"He has a tendency when he's closing match out or when he's behind to serve bigger," Courier said. "I was expecting him to serve huge in the last game and he did."

Courier stood toe-toe with his foe from the baseline but could never match his prowess around the net.

"He can hit a winner from anywhere or he can make strange errors and hit a winner out of nowhere. He's very explosive," said Courier.

"He's playing a little bit more conservative than he used to and sometimes will take some pace off his serve. Whatever [his coaches] Gavin Hopper and Pat Cash are doing with him is working."