Melbourne, Dec 01: Australia's non-playing captain John Fitzgerald said Philippoussis's performance would become part of tennis folklore. Philippoussis, who had lost his opening singles match to Moya on Friday, produced a near-perfect demonstration of grasscourt tennis to race to a 2-0 lead against the world's third-ranked player. The Wimbledon finalist fired down an array of aces, accurate volleys and crisp ground strokes to overpower Ferrero, whose natural baseline game is better suited to clay. The Spaniard fought back gallantly to force the match into a deciding fifth set despite having a leg injury of his own but could not raise his game again when Philippoussis regained control. Philippoussis, who needed treatment during the final break between sets, immediately regained the ascendancy when he broke Ferrero in the second game of the last set.


Roared on by a full house at Melbourne Park's Rod Laver Arena, his momentum carried him to victory and he collapsed in joy after sealing his win with an overhead smash.


Australia were always heavy favourites to win tennis's most famous team trophy after playing at home on a temporary grass court that suited their players.


Friday's opening singles had been split 1-1 after Hewitt beat Ferrero in five sets and Philippoussis lost to Moya but the odds were dramatically shortened in the hosts' favour when Wayne Arthurs and Todd Woodbridge won Saturday's doubles rubber.


Despite Australia's great record in Davis Cup, they had not won the title on home soil since 1986 and their only win since then was in France in 1999 when Philippoussis was again the hero.


Australia lost the 2000 final to Spain in Barcelona and were odds-on favourites to beat France at home two years but lost in the deciding rubber after Fitzgerald suddenly changed his starting line-up for the last two days and the gamble backfired.


Bureau Report