Master Blaster By Suzi Petkovski, as appeared in Australian Tennis Magazine, Dec. 1996
1996 was nothing if not eventful for Australia's most exciting tennis prospect, Mark Philippoussis. But after finishing 1996 ranked No. 30 in the world--just two places higher than his 1995 year-end ranking--did Philippoussis begin to fulfil his potential, or merely tread water?
He began the year with a big bang, but boy oh boy, did Scudmeister Mark Philippoussis have to wait patiently for his first pro tournament win. Since the roar died down at the stadium formerly known as Flinders Park following our boy's momentous win over world No. 1 Pete Sampras in the third round of the Australian Open, the Scud has seldom fired on all cylinders. By the end of the Grand Slam season, Mark hadn't made a singles final, hadn't beaten anyone more notorious than Jim Courier and Marc Roset and hasn't passed the first round in eight of his 21 tournaments. And, tough but true, he hadn't capitalised on his successful first season of '95, when he reached three finals and shot from the 300s to the 30s in the rankings.
The turnaround came in the southwestern French town of Toulouse, where Philippoussis produced a sudden reversal in form to bag the Grand Prix de Toulouse, his first professional title. For the gentle young giant, the win was filled with more personal than professional significance. The week began with the death of his manager and friend Brad Robinson, who lost a three year battle with lymphoma aged just 38.
"All week I had to fight in three sets; I played with my guts and all my heart, thinking about the man who was like a father to me," said an emotional Philippoussis after dedicating his victory to Robinson.
The fourth seed, Philippoussis prevailed against Fabrice Santoro 6-3, 3-6, 7-6; Guillaume Raoux 7-6, 6-7, 6-4; Hicham Arazi 6-4, 3-6, 7-6; Mark Woodforde 2-6, 7-6, 7-6 and in the final, Swede Magnus Larsson 6-1, 5-7, 6-4. Although he did not beat anyone more highly ranked than himself, Mark's was a mature and workmanlike performance. He went 5-0 in tiebreaks, had another satisfylingly difficult victory over Woodforde (repeating US Open result), and he lifted a huge ball of pressure from his shoulders. The year was not a write off after all.
"I knew I had what it took to win a tournament," Mark commented. "I feel very relieved and happy to have won this first title. It is a big stepping stone in my career." As with everything he does, the result has added significance for Australian tennis. At 19, Philippoussis is the youngest Australian singles winner since Pat Cash, who was 17 when he took out the 1983 Victorian Open (a more modest result than Mark's). Clearly, Philippoussis is no late bloomer. Can a Grand Slam be too far off? Also significant is that Mark won while playing below his best. In his final tournament of 1996, Philippoussis extended world No. 2 Michael Chang to a third-set tiebreak in the second round of the Paris Open.
Anyone who can pronounce "Philippoussis" knows Mark's A-game is peerless. But when Plan A goes awry (as it often did in 1996), how good is his Plan B? Does Mark P even have a Plan B? Toulouse confirmed that he does indeed.
We were starting to wonder. The starkest test was undertaken (and flunked) back in January. Mark's straight-sets defeat of Sampras in Melbourne had the tennis world gob-smacked. Expectations were turned up to white-hot. But Mark's one-sided 6-2, 6-2, 6-2 loss to Woodforde next round left fans stone cold. Of course, he suffered an understandable let-down and lacked experience. But would he learn from the loss? Would he digest the abundant advice Woodforde offered him after the joust?
"You know not to give him a lot of pace," Woodforde said. "A lot of times he went for too many balls too early and I brought him in and pushed him back and played up high and low, and he was missing. He doesn't like the subtle changes of pace, and that's what I set out to do. He has to be able to change his game when it's not working for him. He didn't really change his game until 5-0 down (in the third set). Early on, he was just trying to hit a winner from the first point."
While in 1995 Mark dazzled the world with his fearsome serve, in 1996 he struggled mightily to prove he isn't a one-shot wonder. Philippoussis bristles at being called one-dimensional. "It's bullshit," he snapped in Sydney, when Tim Henman described him thus after toppling him in the first round. "I'll serve and volley, and if that's not working I'll stay back. I've pretty much got my game together."
He didn't have it together at the French Open where he disappointed in losing to compatriot Todd Woodbridge in the second round. Another breathlessly-awaited chapter in his budding rivalry with Sampras unfolded on Wimbledon's centre court, no less, where Pete had his revenge by 7-6, 6-4, 6-4. It was close; an impressive centre court debut. Mark's fourth round loss to Sampras at the US Open (by 6-3, 6-3, 6-4) was less close (and to some in the media, a lot less impressive), but it represented the Australian's best Grand Slam result. By the end of the Open, he'd climbed to No. 19 in the rankings.
The progress has been steady rather than spectacular, but Toulouse confirmed that Mark has absorbed the lessons of big defeats. "I don't want to be seen as just a big server," Mark said in Toulouse. "I have been working hard to become a versatile player."
Philippoussis always intended 1996 to be one big learning experience. "The major thing for me this year is to try and get experience," he said at the Australian Open. He got plenty, much of it bittersweet.
Philippoussis fell out with his fellow Aussies by snubbing the first two round of th Davis Cup. It was a rude shock for Davis Cup cheifs John Newcombe and Tony Roche, who gave him and early taste of Davis Cup as a 17-year-old back in 1994 in St. Petersburg and handed him his first Davis Cup guernsey against Hungary last year (Philippoussis won his opening match but lost the decider to 190-ranked Joszef Kroesko, sending Australia to the B-League of Davis Cup for the first time).
Mark's absence at the first Tie against Chinese Taipei was tolerated, but during the dangerous away clash with Japan, the situation was viewed more seriously. He claimed he needed tournament practice (although his next event in Monte Carlo was two weeks after the Cup clash). Later, Mark claimed he had a foot injury. Whatever the reasons, his teammates were less than impressed and there was a fair bit of lockerroom satisfaction when Woodbridge beat his wayward compatriot at the French Open.
By the tim of the World Group qualifying Tie against Croatia in September, all was forgiven. Mark had called Newk personally to make himself available and Newk and Tony Roche, who have shown reluctance in the past to hold Mark solely responsible for his actions, welcomed him back into the fold. Although the much anticipated shootout with Goran Ivanisevic in Split didn't eventuate, Philippoussis won against Sasa Hirszon and Goran Oresic without dropping a set. He gained vital experience in winning Davis Cup matches in a difficult, foreign setting, he improved his Davis Cup record to 3-1, and he had the satisfaction of being part of a winning Davis Cup effort.
On the notorious coaching front, Philippoussis has had experience galore. By the end of Wimbledon, he'd signed his third coach for the year in Peter McNamara (after Nick Bollettieri and a temporary arrangement with Tony Roche). There were also short lived associations with Gavin Hopper and trainer Todd Viney. Presiding over the pyramid was his father, Nick. There is little doubt that the constant comings and goings (and thier eager documenting by the press), had an unsettling effect on Mark. He's corrected that by committing to McNamara, the former world No. 7 whose playing success he respects and who, apart from Mark's father, has had perhaps the longest continuous involvement in Mark's career. Mr. Philippoussis has also accepted a reduced role. Success in Toulouse will have given a sense of stability to both player and coach.
As a consistent and stylish all-court player in his day, McNamara will be looking to add defensive weight to Mark's herfty weapons. With the terrifying force that he has at his disposal, there is a natural tendency for Philippoussis to try ot overpower every opponent; to blast rather than construct points. The loss to Sampras in New York showed how futile that approach can be, even if you do own arguably the most feared serve in tennis. With his customary mix of compliments and advice, Sampras commented "I've never played a guy who hits the ball as hard off the ground and serves as hard as Mark does. He just goes for it, but he would be a lot better off if he took five percent off his shots. He's got the game to beat anyone; he just needs to become smarter on the court."
The challenge for McNamara is to bulid up Mark's defensive game without tempering the aggression and firepower that can take apart any player. He is confident of success, telling The Sunday Age: "I'll state on whatever reputation I have that he will be in the Top 10 eventually."
Mark's success in Toulouse was sandwiched between two first round losses. Expect that pattern to continue. He's no weekly quarter-finalist, but John Alexander, for one, believes that's not a bad thing. "He's not playing safe; he's playing to fulfil his potential, and it's immense."
Indeed it is. We may have been impatient for more, but Mark's 1996 season was one of significant achievement. He made mistakes and corrected them. He knows he needs more dimensions to his game and is working to gain them.
His spectacular game has galvanised interest in tennis at home and gained new respect for Australian tennis abroad (the dark Mediterranean looks don't hurt either!). But with Mark Philippoussis, there's always so much more to look forward to. With two full seasons of pro tennis behind him, 1997 looms as a make-or-break year for Mark; for a player of promise, they all are.
