2001 Ericsson Open
Date: 2001-03-24
Philippoussis def. Chang 7-6, 6-4

Question Does it affect you at all to have to have had a bye in the first round?
Answer Not at all. I've had a good rest since Indian Wells, and, you know, I wasn't ready to play there. I didn't play a lot. My knee started to ache a little bit. So I had some time to come back here, relax. Great thing is I live here, so it was perfect, you know, conditions for me. And I did a lot of training, and, you know, I thought I was pretty pleased with the way I played today except for my serve.

Question Does it make a big difference to you playing near your home base?
Answer Yeah, I live 15 minutes from here so it's perfect.

Question You had a great start to your comeback from injury winning the first tournament. What happened between then and now?
Answer Uhm, after I won Memphis, I was on the flight from Memphis to San Jose, my knee started to ache. I didn't think much of it. I got to San Jose, on the flight from Memphis I got a fever and I started sweating and I didn't practice for a couple of days until the night before my match for 15 minutes. My knee started to ache, I was going to pull out. Billy was there, we just iced it and took some antiinflammatories. Once I got on the court, it was just hurting a little bit in my match. Managed to battle through the first match. And second match, tiebreaker at 2-1, the third tiebreaker. He serve and volleyed, I hit a backhand return. As I landed, I went to turn and sprint to the forehand. As I turned and went to push off, I felt this really big pain in my knee and I lifted up and it was hurting. So I didn't run for any of the balls, I just hit everything as hard as I can, and, you know, I was awful that match and it was hurting all week. I didn't practice until the Friday before Indian Wells. Again, I went there. I think I shouldn't have gone, shouldn't have played. But I played a poor match, and went straight back to Miami and got into the training. The one good thing about Indian Wells was my knee wasn't hurting at all which was great. I just played a poor match. I've been working hard since then, so it was a good one first tournament.

Question How does your knee feel now?
Answer It feels good, you know. I'm icing it 15 minutes, I'm making sure it's warmed up. The orthopedic surgeon told me that I'll have pains, you know, problems for three to six months after surgery, so it's to be expected.

Question And do you always play with it strapped now?
Answer Especially at the moment. I just don't feel confident for it to be left on its own.

Question What are your goals for this season given that it's been an abbreviated one?
Answer To make the appearance down in Sydney at the end of the year. That's my goal.

Question What are you working on in particular at the moment with Peter?
Answer Everything. You know, my returns, my volleys, my movement, my -- just putting my whole game together. Just pretty much trying to stay healthy, to be quite honest. When I'm healthy, I'll work on everything.

Question What's the area where you think you need to make the most improvement?
Answer My volleys, my returns, my backhand, my second serve. That's what I'm working on. They are improving, so, you know, I'm happy.

Question At one point last year I think you mentioned that you were thinking about moving back to Australia, leaving Miami. When did you reconsider that?
Answer I did consider that for a very short time, but I changed my mind very quickly.

Question Just a matter of convenience, being more centrally located here?
Answer It was. I think what topped it off was going back to Australia and just pretty much seeing how the press were and realizing that I'm not going to have any peace and quiet at home. So it was just impossible, which is unfortunate because I have family and friends that I love back home. So when things like that keep you away from people you love, it frustrates you a lot.

Question Given that, can you sympathize with Jelena Dokic's decision?
Answer I have no idea what's happening with her or anything that's been happening with her so I can't comment on that.