2000 Tennis Masters Series Cincinnati
Date: 2000-08-09
Philippoussis def. Rios 6-7, 6-4, 7-6

Question (Inaudible)?
Answer You know, like I said yesterday, I just wanted to come out and play my game, you know attack him, just take it to him. And that's what happened today.

Question You were one and four against him previously. How did this match differ from the four as opposed to the one?
Answer You know, every match is different. You know, I was feeling good, I've been working on my fitness, it was hot out there. I felt pretty good on the courts. The balls are bouncing high. You know, it's hot, the balls are bouncing high, so I think it will favor me a little on the serve, on the kick serve. So I just managed to hang in there and made little unforced errors, a double-fault in the tiebreaker. It just takes a couple of points to give a match away.

Question How about mentally? Is it encouraging to you to be able to come out of a match like that? That's about as tight as it can get.
Answer Yeah, it's always great to win in straight sets easy. But I mean it's even better to win matches like that where you have been down or behind, you know, the whole way in the third set, got to a tiebreaker. But, you know, to get through, it gives you some confidence for the next match.

Question How different is that than maybe that would have been, you know, a year ago or two years ago for you?
Answer Well, obviously after his surgery, I don't think he's quite the same player. I think, as you said, he's not moving as well as he has and you can see that a little. But, you know, I've matured and I'm a better player than I was two years ago.

Question Can you elaborate on that? What is better?
Answer You know, maturity. My game is becoming better, you know, becoming more of a whole game together. You know, in the past, I would just try to blast my way out of tight situations, where now if I have to serve and volley, I will. If I need to keep the ball in 20 times for the point, I'm going to do that. That's from obviously fitness, being able to stay out there, and just maturity. I'm a late maturer. I didn't mature as quick as other players but, you know, I'm getting there.

Question Why would you say you're a later maturer?
Answer Because I'm a big kid. I always have been. I love toys, I love having fun, and, you know. I feel like I'm 20. I feel -- actually I've been on Tour for six years. So I sort of feel 30, I could say. But then again, you know, inside I feel like 18, 19. Just a kid.

Question How do you strike a balance between, you know, being able to still be a big kid and have fun and everything off the court, and to be able to go out there and be as serious as you need to be about your tennis?
Answer You know, I'm sure like any teenager or any person, they go through phases. And, you know, I've been through my phase, quite a few phases in my life. (Laughing.) So, you know, now I know what I have to do. It's good to go through these phases and get that stuff behind you and have a bit of fun. So, you know, I'm 23. Hopefully I've got some good seven years ahead of me. I'm going to dedicate, you know, all my life and at the moment all I can to tennis.

Question Is it harder when you're kind of out there on the stage and you're being judged as you go through these phases? Like people expect you to be a certain way and you're 19?
Answer Well, the thing is, you know, you are under, you know, the eye of the press, of the public. And, you know, obviously you can't do anything too silly, you got to think about what you're doing. It's great because kids are looking up to you. That's what I always think about when I was a kid, to grow up and to have kids looking up to you and coming up, asking for your autograph, or wearing your Fila clothing. It's great. It's a lot of -- it's a great feeling it gives you inside of you. And just, you know, I think -- I just got to realize that and, you know, just try and settle myself on the court. And, you know, like I said, I mature every year. So I just left everything behind me and concentrate on tennis.

Question You have obviously a lot of obligations in Australia, various things, the Davis Cup. Is it hard to be overseas and keep up with everything that's going on?
Answer Sure. That's why I live in Miami. I mean, I love living in America. I love Miami. Just the atmosphere, the weather, it's great. And it is frustrating, because I love Melbourne, you know. I love going to see my family, my friends. And when it's so bad that it doesn't -- you don't want to go back, you know, I mean it's not like you don't want to go back to see your family, it's just like you feel like you don't want to go back home because of what can happen, have the press in front of your house from eight in the morning until four in the afternoon, it's frustrating. And, you know, it makes you angry for making you feel that way, of not being able to go home and see your family and your friends.

Question So you're incognito all the time in Miami, people don't recognize you much?
Answer Oh, no. People recognize you, but it's different in America because celebrities or athletes are walking around everywhere. It's nothing. I think it's a little different, they say hi, they might ask for an autograph, or just say I love watching you play. It's very respectable. It's good.

Question Has there been unfair criticism from the media back home?
Answer I don't want to talk about that. I just love playing tennis; it's as simple as that. The one thing you know I'm sure, the Australian media is very tough on their athletes. When you're winning, everyone loves you. They can't say anything wrong about you and a couple of things, you know. Sort of don't get on that running streak, then everyone's against you. It's the same everywhere.

Question Have this year been the perfect example of that, Davis Cup last year until now? Just going up and down with Australia?
Answer Like I said, what they write, they write. It doesn't worry me. I concentrate on myself and I go out there and I give 100 percent on the court and that's all I can ask for myself. That's all that my fans and anyone can ask of me.

Question Did you sort of have a defining moment where you kind of thought, "I really need to be a little more mature, be a little more serious?"
Answer You know, I think it hit me when I got injured after Wimbledon, waiting in that medical room for, you know, the MRI and just not knowing what happened, not knowing have I damaged a ligament, am I going to be out for a year, three months, six months? At that stage I got really scared in there and I thought, you know, you don't know. Could this be the end of my career? Could I have lost two years? It just gets me thinking, and I start realizing how I've been wasting my time, you know, just not giving it 100 percent and not training hard. And, you know, knock on wood, after that, that it wasn't too serious. You know, it just got me thinking. I've just been training harder. I don't want to have any regrets when I do retire tennis.

Question Does that have something to do with the call from Boris?
Answer That was a bit of a wakeup call, too, from Boris, I mean being the champion he is and, you know, just backing up his tennis year after year. It's been incredible. And I mean especially for me, I looked up to him when I was a kid and had posters on my walls, as well as Sabatini. (Laughter.) And, you know, when you get the phone call from someone that you have been looking up to, for them telling you they don't think you've reached 50 percent of your potential is a wakeup call. So it was good.

Question What was it like when he called you? It came out of the blue, right?
Answer Yeah. Intimidating. A little intimidating. But like I said, it was a good wakeup call.

Question What was your response?
Answer He said to me, this is what I think, do you agree with me? Tell me what you think. I said I agree with you. It's good for someone to tell you these things. So...

Question When you put down the phone, were you thinking "Boris Becker just called"?
Answer You know, I played doubles with him before, so it's just that it was a little unexpected. Everything was unexpected. At the same time, when I did put the phone down, I was excited because I've always said things happen for a reason and this could be a new beginning for me.

Question Have you talked to him since?
Answer I was talking to him throughout Wimbledon and I haven't spoke to him since then. He's in contact with my father.

Question You mentioned wanting to be a role model to kids and now you are. What kind of advice do you give kids when they're looking to achieve excellence?
Answer Just enjoy the game. At the start, don't put too much pressure on yourself, don't expect too much, just go out there and have fun. You go out there with your family or with your friends, brother, sister, just go out and play. Play for fun. And when you get to a certain age, 10, 11, and you know you want to be a tennis player, then you start working at it. But even up until then, just work hard and especially don't listen to people if they say, You're too small, you're not fast enough, you're not strong enough. I had people telling me when I was 14 years old and 16 that I'll never play tennis, I'll never be anything. For me, that made me stronger and made me work harder. Just work hard and enjoy yourself.

Question Why did they tell you that when you were 14? Did they have any reason?
Answer You know, 14 and 16, I was just -- I went on the Tour. I wasn't selected for the Tour for the Junior Italian Open, Junior French, Junior Wimbledon, they put me on a B Tour where I went to Asia. So that whole Tour I didn't try any of the matches. I was upset, so I came home and they suspended me from everywhere, VIS AIS wouldn't let me train anywhere. So I went out with my dad and started training. You know, after that, you know, I was like 32 and 1 in matches in Victoria, I won the Victorian Hard Court Championships. So things make you stronger.

Question Can you talk about possibly playing Andre?
Answer I feel like, you know, he beat me pretty good last four times I played him, and, you know, I feel that could be a little different tomorrow. So I think I'm going to take him down tomorrow. (Laughter.)

Question You mentioned your toys earlier, four cars and nine motorcycles, is that the latest count?
Answer No. I have two cars, and I just sold a few -- I had like six motorcycles.

Question What are your cars, if you care to say?
Answer A Range Rover and a Ferrari 550.

Question About today's match...(Inaudible) You double-faulted to 6-5 -- 6-4, and then faulted on the first service, then hit a 126 down the middle. What was going on?
Answer That's the way I play tennis. You know, that's what got me here, taking risks and going for shots. That's the kind of player I am.

Question I thought on the second service when you double-faulted though that you tried to hit a kick serve.
Answer Yeah. You know, I put nothing on that. I mean it didn't hardly even reach the net, so I got a little upset with myself. I said if I'm going to double-fault, it's definitely going to reach the net this time. (Laughter.)

Question You were talking about when you were younger trying to get out of trouble by powering away. Did you get caught up with people talking about your power?
Answer Obviously, people talk about power. I mean I do hit the ball hard. It is a part of my game. I do hit the ball hard. It's not like, you know -- it's what's got me here. You know, it's going to get me out of trouble, but it's going to win me some good points. I might, you know, miss a big point, lose a match, but I got to play what's comfortable for me and play my game. You know. But at the same time, just, you know, I'm more mature, so I got to learn to control it a little bit more. That's all there is to it, but at the same time not lose the power game.

Question Do you feel like you have tarnished it?
Answer Yeah, I'm getting there. I'm maturing every year, my game's getting better every year.

Question What's your fastest serve ever?
Answer I don't know.

Question 142?
Answer I'm not sure. I'm not sure. Might be. Thank you.