"Down And Under"
Davis Cup debacle is latest diplay in Mark Philippoussis'
portfolio of poisonous publice Realtions.
by Suzi Petkovski
Australians are not normally drama queens. It appears
we need to make an exception for Mark Philippoussis.
For it was the drama generated by the 21-year-old, and
disastrously timed on the eve of the Australia-Zimbabwe Davis
Cup tie, that played a major part in Australiaís humiliating 3-2
loss to Zimbabwe, represented by the diminutive and wholly
admirable Black brothers, Byron and Wayne.
This was a ëgimmeí tie for Australia. Officials were so confident
the Aussies would put on a morale-boosting clinic that they
staged the tie in a provincial town for the first time. Mildura is on
the River Murray in Victoriaís citrus belt. The idea was to take
tennis to the neglected country and the people were grateful. All
tickets were sold, the grass courts were manicured to
Wimbledon-like perfection and the town was gripped by all things
Davis Cup. Fact is, even before the tie was underway, one eye
was on the India-Italy clash, which would decide Australiaís next
opponent, and preparations were already in place for the
anticipated quarterfinal tie in Brisbane. Not to be disrespectful to
the tenacious Black boys, but there was only two of them versus
a four-man Aussie line-up: Pat Rafter and Jason Stoltenberg in
singles and the formidable Woodies in doubles, undefeated in
Davis Cup since 1994.
But signs soon emerged that this would be a below-strength
Aussie unit. Both Australian spearhead Rafter and Todd
Woodbridge straggled into town trying to throw off viruses. Rafter
had been battling a debilitating bug for five weeks and only two
days before the tie was just a 50-50 proposition. Even the shorter
rallies of grasscourt tennis and the forgiving surface were not
enough to get the Aussie No. 1 through his opening singles
against Byron Black, which he lost in four sets. When the
Woodies again did the dutiful and put Australia up 2-1, captain
John Newcombe faced the inevitable and replaced Rafter at the
last minute with Mark Woodforde. The true preference may have
been Woodbridge, but with lingering questions over Toddís health,
Newk was forced to go with the veteran Woodforde who has a 4-9
record in Davis Cup singles. Make that 4-10. Clearly rattled by his
lack of singles preparation, Woodforde went down in four sets to
Wayne Black. In the knife-edge decider, Stoltenberg lost by a
similar margin to an inspired Byron Black.
Throughout this Black episode in Australian tennis, the nationís
No. 2, strapping Mark Philippoussis, all six feet four inches of
him, sat watching from the stands in pretty sunglasses and rude
good health. His early decision to make himself unavailable for
this tie was deemed objectionable, but surmountable. Now it was
looking treasonable (especially when one considered that he
hasnít dropped a set to the Black brothers in five matches). This
may have been the most gallingDavis Cup loss ever for an
Australian side. Aussies pride themselves on unshakable team
unity and purpose. To have the team effort undermined by a
disgruntled team member, because of some real or imagined
slight, is anathema to Australian Davis Cup tradition and spirit.
With appalling timing, the Scud went public about his rift with
captain Newcombe on the eve of the Cup tie. Claiming Newk had
refused his pleas for help (he requested that Roche travel with him
to several indoor events late last year as he was struggling with
his form and dealing with his fatherís cancer), Philippoussis
vowed he would boycott all Davis Cup ties until Newcombe made
a public apology to him. ìWhy canít he (Newcombe) say thatís
what we did to Mark and we understand his frustration?î
Philippoussis told Bruce Matthews of Melbourneís Herald-Sun
newspaper, in a front-page story that dwarfed the coverage given
to the Davis Cup preparations. ìHe should go out there (in public)
and say it. Of course I understand how dear the Davis Cup is. But
if someone has done wrong by me, I donít forgive easily. Being of
Greek and Italian blood, itís just me, itís just the way
we are.î
Asked whether he would return to the Davis Cup fold if an apology
was given, Philippoussis replied: ìOf course I want to play. But
at
the same time, to be honest, I donít really want to see Newk next
to me on the court. It will never be the same. I could never look at
Rochey and Newk as the same.î
The spray even extended to his teammates. Philippoussis said he
was at a loss to understand why Pat Rafter had ended their
doubles association and went on to single out the Woodies in
particular for giving him the cold shoulder. ìIíve walked
past the
Woodies and they say hello but itís sort of a cold hello.î
Reaction was swift and savage. One columnist dubbed the
wayward 21-year-old Mark ìSilippoussisî and said the only
Wimbledon title he was worthy of was for dummy-spitting
because ìhe spits quicker than he serves.î One caption described
him as the ìself-proclaimed superstar.î Not for the first
time,
Philippoussis failed to appreciate the consequences of his
actions and to what extent he was damaging not only his own
character but also Australiaís proud Davis Cup traditions and
public perceptions of the sport itself. ìIsnít tennis crap?î
boomed
the morning host on a radio station which holds the young
audience tennis would kill for. Over on the AM dial, Melbourneís
talkback king told his audience: ìIf Mark Philippoussis doesnít
want to play Davis Cup for Australia, then we donít want him. It
would demean the event to ask him to play. The sooner he takes
his Ferraris and moves to Florida, the better off weíll all be.î
Obviously shocked by the magnitude of his blunder and the
one-sided reaction, Philippoussis then compounded his mistake
by flying to Mildura (after saying he would not even watch the
Davis Cup on television) to offer ësupportí to his teammates
and
try to patch things up with Newk. No doubt his heart was in the
right place but he put himself and the easing of his conscience
ahead of the needs of the team. He must have known that a Davis
Cup tie was not the time or place to sort out personal politics and
that his presence would at best be little more than a hollow
gesture and at worst a major disruption.
And so it proved. As Australia slumped to a humiliating 3-2
defeat, Markís damage-control dash to Mildura was looking like a
major disaster. The normally easygoing Woodforde made no
bones about pointing the finger of blame at his estranged
teammate. ìI certainly didnít underestimate Zimbabwe,î
Woodforde fumed. ìTodd and I knew what we were expecting as
far as the doubles. Pat Rafter didnít underestimate them, or Newk
and RocheyñI donít think those guys would have. I doubt Stolts
(Jason Stoltenberg) would have. But maybe Mr. Philippoussis
did.î
The Davis Cup debacle was merely the latest display in
Philippoussisí portfolio of poisonous public relations. The time
is
nigh for him to take charge of his life before the off-court
melodramas become a career liability, as was the case with the
media-tormented Pat Cash.
The year wasnít a week old when Philippoussis banned an
esteemed tennis writer for her flippant dig at the mediaís
obsession with Markís vehicular fetish (a Lamborghini, a Ferrari,
a
Porsche and one of those ugly HumVees, in case youíve been in
outer space). The incident highlighted how thin-skinned
Philippoussis is, and how easily he is sidetracked by
irrelevancies. The reaction was out of all proportion to the
comment, leaving us with the impression that maybe Mark does
take his material acquisitions a bit too seriously. Maybe the car
collection does say something about his motivation.
At the Australian Open, where he was seeded for the first time,
Philippoussis crashed in the second round to a Moroccan pirate
named Hicham Arazi, who showed as much feistiness as
flamboyance to win 9-7 in the fifth on a very warm day. The media
made much of Markís ëillnessí, the player himself allowing
room
for some ambiguity: ìI didnít feel great, but no excuses
on that
part. I should have won the match.î Whatís this ëNo excuses
butÖí? Fact is, Philippoussis had a matchpoint and other
chances to close down the match. No ifs and buts. No trying to
have it both ways.
Also at the Open, Mark was evasive, if not disingenuous, about
his Davis Cup plans. Question: ìThe first two or three (Davis Cup)
ties are in Australia. Does that make it easier to commit yourself
to those?î Answer: ìSure, sure it does.î
Within days came confirmation of the whispers that filled the
corridors of Melbourne Park throughout the Australian Open:
Philippoussis would not play the first two rounds of the Davis Cup,
even though they were home ties and heíd said he wanted to
spend more time in Australia this year. The decision revealed
Markís combination of amazing naivete and bad judgment. As an
Australian, and from past experience in 1996, when he also
skipped the first two matches, he must have known how this
decision would be received. To play a little bit of Davis Cup for
Australia is like being a little bit pregnantñeither youíre
committed
to every Davis Cup tie or youíre not. He must also have known
what Davis Cup captain John Newcombeís response would be
(refer above).
ìMark suggested to me that he be available for only the last two
rounds (semifinal and final, presuming of course Australia
progressed that far),î Newk related. ìI told him that it would
be
unfair to the other players who were making themselves available
for the whole year. How would he feel if he played the early
rounds and then somebody else came in for the semifinals? You
canít let the other blokes do the hard work and step in for the
finals. Itís not the way itís done in Australia.î
Mark then made the mistake, through his management, of
blaming Newcombe for his Davis Cup exile, showing an
unwillingness to bear the responsibility for his decision. ìHe
(Mark) definitely made himself available (for the last rounds), but
John Newcombe has made a decision in that regard,î said Rob
Aivatoglou, Philippoussisí manager at Advantage International.
Naturally, the public sided overwhelmingly with Newk, the popular
perception being: ìWho does Philippoussis think he is, Sampras?î
(Even having Sampras turn out for the semifinals and final is no
guarantee of success, as the Swedish trouncing of the U.S. in the
1997 Davis Cup final showed.)
So has Mark Philippoussis burnt all his bridges with his
teammates? Will he ever be welcomed back into the fold? Almost
certainly yes. The team has too much respect for him as a player
and his Davis Cup teammates are decent, easygoing blokes, not
the types to engage in Byzantine dramas. But Mark will have to
just about bleed on a Davis Cup court to win back their faith. He
could also grow up and acknowledge that he isnít the only one
with feelings. Did he really expect his teammates to be pleased
with his decision to let them shoulder the early battles while he
stepped in for the glamour rounds?
The bridge to Newcombe and Roche is a longer one that will
require serious mending. Newcombe typically handled the fracas
with tact and dignity, refusing to criticize Philippoussis, insisting
heís never wanted anything but the best for Mark, and accepting
his ill-timed visit to Mildura although it was within his rights to tell
Philippoussis to take a hike in the interests of the team.
Typically, the intended criticism said more about Philippoussis
than the intended targets. Taking potshots at two Aussie icons
who have given so much of themselves to Australian tennis
showed, as we Aussies would say, that Philippoussis must have
a few kangaroos loose in the top paddock.
From where most people sit, Newcombe and Roche have been
faithful supporters of Philippoussis and have in fact done a great
deal for him. They took him to Russia as a 17-year-old for his first
taste of Davis Cup, and he got to slum it in the Grand Hotel
Europa. Later that year, Roche arranged for Philippoussis to stay
at the home of Ivan Lendl, his former charge of almost 10 years,
and train with him. A similar stint had done wonders for a
16-year-old Sampras. Can there be a better experience for a
youngster than personal tuition from the ultimate professional that
Lendl was? In Davis Cup, whenever Philippoussis has made
himself available, he hasnít been left to warm the bench.
It was also Newcombe who instigated a two-hour meeting with
Philippoussis after Australiaís loss to the U.S. in the Davis Cup
semifinal last September, to talk about his immediate playing
future. ìI actually asked for the meeting because I was concerned
about Mark and what he was going to be doing this year,î Newk
recalls. It was at this meeting that the rift occurred in Markís
mind. He wanted Roche to travel with him for several indoor
events late last year but was knocked back (as Davis Cup coach,
Roche must divide his attention between all Davis Cuppers).
According to Newcombe, Philippoussis had separate discussions
with Roche and is at a loss to understand why the ire was
directed at him. ìI donít tell Tony, ëYou can do this
and you canít
do that.í I donít know why Iím in the middle of this.
I donít arrange
coaches.î
Still, both Newcombe and Roche have too much respect for the
Davis Cup and too much personal magnanimity to let personal
slights damage Australiaís record and tradition in the event. A
genuine commitment on Markís part to make amends and heíll
be
given every chance to play for Australia.
The damage on the commercial front is still unknown.
Philippoussisí many sponsors (including Fila, Dunlop, AAPT,
K-Tel and Balsam Pacific) were remaining tight-lipped, although
Dunlop offered that they had heard negative comments from
retailers. Certainly, sponsors could not have been pleased with
the bad publicity, nor with Philippoussisí decision to make himself
unavailable for the Davis Cup, which deprived at least Fila and
Dunlop of hours of free advertising. Was Philippoussisí conduct
during the Davis Cup bad enough to make sponsors reconsider
re-signing him? ìI hope not,î said Aivatoglou. ìI think
theyíd be
heartened by his efforts to reconcile with the team. It was
obviously a difficult time but I know his intentions were to support
the team and try to heal bad feelings. He didnít want to be a
disruption and he underestimated the amount of coverage he
would receive.î This much is known: sponsors seek players with
popular appeal and thereís no quicker way to make yourself
unpopular in Australia than spurning the Davis Cup. Even Pat
Cash, for all his faults, never messed with Davis Cup tradition.
What the Davis Cup disaster highlighted above all else is that
Philippoussis is yet to take responsibility for his own career. He
is relying on others and blaming others when the results arenít
there. He blamed Newcombe for the Davis Cup rift and Roche for
not helping him with struggling form. He isnít even in control of
his
playing schedule. Asked at the Australian Open how many
tournaments he would play this year, Philippoussis responded:
ìIím not sure to be exact. Iím always the last one
to look at my
schedule. Itís always the agent (who decides).î In a couple
of
controversy-packed years, Philippoussis has had more coaches
than Greyhound, alienated much of the Australian public by not
playing for his country, issued media bans, publicly feuded with a
living legend and ticked off his teammates as well. People are
losing patience with his melodramas. Itís reached the point where
it would take nothing less than a Grand Slam title for
Philippoussis to rehabilitate his public image.
Fortunately Mark has the package to pull it off: a fearsome serve,
only slightly less terrifying groundstrokes and an intimidating
presence at the net. He boasts wins over all the top players and
the surface is immaterial; heís equally devastating on clay, grass,
hardcourts or carpet. Philippoussis underlined his class last year
by winning three titles (Scottsdale, Munich and Queenís) on three
different surfaces. The last Aussie to manage three tournament
wins in a single year was Pat Cash, back in 1987. Five titles have
fallen to him and he looks destined for many more.
But Markís Grand Slam results have lagged behind his potential.
The stand-out result is his ambush of Sampras in straight sets in
the third round of the 1996 Australian Open. In the two and a half
years since, he hasnít produced a performance to match it.
Philippoussis has reached the fourth round of the Australian,
French and U.S. Opens. At Wimbledon, he hasnít cleared the
second round (though his conquerors, Sampras and Greg
Rusedski, are pretty nifty on grass). The youth Goliath has often
pleaded inexperience. But at 21, heís not young in tennis terms.
Plenty of tennis careers have ended at 21. He has the experience
now and he must utilize it. As Newcombe keeps saying, Mark
needs to bear down and wring the most out of his enormous
potential. For an inspirational example of what hard yakka and
commitment can do, he need look no further than
U.S. Open champion, Pat Rafter. In the big events especially,
Philippoussis must show more consistency, tactical flexibility and
strength of character.
Philippoussis has been blessed with wonderful tools to work with.
No doubt he has worked very hard to get where he is. But he
must work even harder to ensure that any hitches in his progress
thus far are surmountable hurdles and not fatal flaws.
Courtesy Tennis Week 1998