Hi fellow Flip Fans! My name is Lisa - I am 30 years old and I live in Toronto, Canada. I have followed tennis for many years and have attended about a dozen ATP events, because in the last six years the sport has become my passion! In all the years of enjoying tennis (even back to the days when Connors and McEnroe were at the top of the game) I have never been so impressed as I have consistently been by Mark Philippoussis. I think he is truly a unique, genuine and amazing individual!

I have a few great Mark Moment experiences to recall here and hope you all enjoy reading about some very special times for me. The first time I ever saw Mark Philippoussis in person was in August of 1995 in Montreal, Canada. It was early one morning and a friend and I happened upon Patrick Rafter and Mark on the practice courts. The place was so busy on court that they were hitting groundies together on half a court! I instantly was in awe of the guy. He just seemed perfect in appearance and I found myself completely drawn to him. I saw him play a few more times that week and I left the tournament thinking his power and presence was simply amazing. It was quite a great first impression.

In 1996 I became a completely devoted Mark fan for a few reasons and this occurred during the 1996 Du Maurier Open in Toronto. I was so excited to be seeing Mark again and I remember that there was a lot of press that the big name guys were missing out (Agassi, Sampras, Becker) but I didn't care. As long as I could go to all of Mark's matches, I knew I would have a fabulous time! The very first match of his that I attended turned out to be the most memorable as it was on a side court and I sat directly behind Mark and was literally less than fifteen feet away. Mark won easily that day and I was impressed as always, but as he was leaving, the lady who was sitting beside me called him over. Now, I'm guessing here, but I'd say she was middle aged and when Mark came over, she asked if she could have the shirt he had changed out of earlier. He looked quite surprised and acted very shyly and sweet to her and with half a laugh pulled the shirt out of his bag and gave it to her. I couldn't believe it. He was so kind and polite. I was touched just standing there and his eyes were absolutely unforgettable. All week I enjoyed more of his matches and had the most fun attending his doubles matches as he was teamed up with Patrick Rafter and they shared lots of laughs together. Those images are very special in my mind. I knew when the week ended that I was a devoted Mark admirer. It was two long years before my eyes could set themselves on amazing Mark again in person, but it was at the very start of the 1998 Du Maurier Open back in Toronto in August.

Just by chance, I was sitting with a friend on a bench beside the practice courts on qualifying Saturday and glanced up to see our 6'4" dream walking in my direction wearing great shades and looking a bit too stressed. He was so changed, QUITE THE MAN! I waited and followed a few minutes later to see him practice with Jason Stoltenberg and Gavin Hopper. Two things were interesting that day - almost no-one took notice and he was able to have a quiet hit in peace, and also he had a long stretch session with Gavin right on court and I couldn't believe how long and intense that actually is. By the way, I even got a peek at his underwear during this and let me tell you, if you get the chance at watching the whole deal, it's well worth it! I decided not to bother Mark that day as he really seemed quiet and I respected his need for space.

A few days later my hopes for finally meeting him came true and he by far surpassed my expectations. Luckily a friend and I were able to catch a short late afternoon autograph session after a doubles match with Goran Ivanisevic. Because we were the last few people to go up, I had the chance to watch how things were going with other fans. Mark was so kind to all of them. Regardless of age or demeanor, I noticed Mark treating everyone with such respect. At times, he acted a bit shyly but was very accommodating to everyone's requests. When I walked up and his eyes looked into mine, I had trouble just saying hi and his name, but he smiled at me when saying hi back, so I stayed calm after that! His voice was gentle and relaxed with that great deepness. I asked if he would sign a photo I had brought of him, which I'd taken back in 1995, and if he would mind having a new photo taken with me. He responded with great ease and I can still hear him saying "Sure, no problem." I went over beside him for the photo and was so incredibly happy to be standing right next to him. Before I walked away, I wished him the best of luck and extended my hand to him. Mark let go of his pen and shook my hand. It was fabulous!!! Firm, yet caring and sensitive. WOW! His hand was also very soft I noticed. Mark does have an incredible nature and it is no wonder so many people are attracted to him. I do have to say that it is his eyes that I find just overwhelmed me. They are simply awe inspiring. I was also close to Mark a few more times that week for good and bad days - practices, victories, defeats and accidents (when he walked all over Byron Black, lost his cool and the match against Patrick Rafter and collided so painfully against Goran Ivanisevic!). It was an amazing week that I felt so fortunate to experience it so closely to him!

Two weeks later, it was off to the RCA Championships in Indianapolis, Indiana for me and luckily it was Mark's first year playing at the event. I always attend the full tournaments that I go to and this particular week turned out the best so far. Every morning Mark was out on the practice courts working with pat Cash and I really enjoyed sitting in on those sessions. What a way to start the day! Mark was very upbeat every day and worked very hard - it was obvious that some of the negativity was lifting from around him and I was happy to see that. Throughout the week, I saw Mark stop for absolutely everyone who asked for an autograph, responded to all their questions and didn't try to avoid anyone. I also had access to the player's restaurant and noticed how he treats everyone so nicely behind the scenes as well. Before his third round late night match against Alex Corretja, I just happened to catch the end of his warm up on a side court. When he was finishing, a group of about ten or fifteen people went to him for autographs. He waited and signed every one before leaving. In all the years that I have been around the pro players I had never seen that happen right before a match. Understandably just before they go on to play, the guys need to stay focussed and get into the preparation, so I didn't expect to see Mark still take time for the fans who wanted his time and signature. It is times like those above that Mark doubters need to see to fully understand him. It is so unfair to judge him on the surface because there is a great personality behind the shy and reserved exterior of Mark Philippoussis. That match against Alex was just great. It went for nearly two hours and ended near midnight. It was abvious that they like and respect each other and the actions demeanor of both of them made the evening more fun and special than usual. Though Mark did not win the tight match, he stood at the net at the end and waited for Alex to gather his things so that they could leave together. Every match should be that impressive. They both played their best stuff, smiled along the way, acknowledged the cheering of fans and left the arena as friends. Great game, great guys!! My last experience came in October of 1998 when I was lucky enough to be in on the ATP Tour Chat session with Mark. It was a lot of fun and I was able to discuss his Lamborghini with him and give him a compliment so it was another thrill to enjoy more time with him. Personally, I look forward to more encounters with our Flip and for him I hope that his every wish come true, always. All the best! Lisa