Melbourne, Dec 01: Australia's Davis Cup team had been convinced that a chest injury had affected Mark Philippoussis so badly that he would lose his match and the final against Spain would go to a fifth rubber yesterday.
In fact Philippoussis, who comfortably won the first two sets against Juan Carlos Ferrero before losing the next two, managed to blow the world's third-ranked player off the court in the last set, completing a 7-5 6-3 1-6 2-6 6-0 victory. The win handed Australia their 28th Davis Cup.
''I had that break between the fourth and fifth sets and went into the locker room and Lleyton was in there doing some sprinting drills,'' a smiling Philippoussis said at a news conference.
''I just said to him 'what are you doing?' he was already dressed, putting on his socks and doing some footwork drills,'' he added, laughing.
Hewitt, scheduled to play Carlos Moya in the fifth rubber, said he had had to be prepared for the possibility of playing.



''There was definitely a moment after 6-1 6-2 in the third and fourth set that I thought I could be out there,'' said Hewitt. ''to his credit it was a hell of an effort to come back.''


Bureau Report