Melbourne, Dec 02: Thousands of fans turned out in Melbourne on Monday to welcome Australia's triumphant Davis Cup team. The quartet of Mark Philipoussis, Lleyton Hewitt, Todd Woodbridge and Wayne Arthurs were hailed as heroes.
"It was definitely emotional for me and for all of us," said Philippoussis, who clinched the win over Spain despite a painful muscle tear.
The shoulder injury is not expected to affect his preparations for January's Australian Open. Philippoussis received the biggest cheers from his home crowd at Federation Square after his five-set win over Juan Carlos Ferrero which gave Australia an unassailable 3-1 lead.
Philippoussis told the crowd that Sunday's win had eclipsed Australia's last Davis Cup final victory against France in Nice in 1999, when he also won the decisive rubber.
"Nice was an incredible feeling, but this can't touch it. I was emotional, everyone was emotional and this was just a storybook ending."



Philippoussis underwent a scan on Monday and was diagnosed with a muscle tear in his chest and shoulder but the injury is not as bad as first feared.



"I am relieved that it is not a long-term injury and won't upset my preparation for the forthcoming Australian summer circuit," he said.



"It's not painful, not unless I touch it. If I raise my arm above my head, it's a little painful."



Philippoussis, once portrayed as the bad boy of Australian tennis, was lauded by local media with his picture on the front page of every major newspaper in the country. The Age said his display against Ferrero had silenced his critics forever.



"Surely no-one could doubt Philippoussis's ability or heart again," the paper's tennis correspondent wrote.

Bureau Report