TNT Sports
Philippoussis fit & re
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Published 11/09/2003 at 11:06 GMT+1
Wimbledon finalist Mark Philippoussis returned from a surfing break on Thursday to announce he was in top shape for Australia's Davis Cup semi-final tie against Switzerland next week. Philippoussis and former world number one Lleyton Hewitt will play the opening singles rubbers in the September 19-21 semi-final tie in Melbourne.
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"I'm feeling pretty good," Philippoussis told reporters. "I had a bit of a break, went back to San Diego and just relaxed and did some surfing - cleared the mind to get ready for this."
Switzerland's Roger Federer -- who beat Philippoussis in the final to win Wimbledon in July -- and fellow squad members Ivo Heuberger, Michel Kratochvil and George Bastl trained at Melbourne Park's Rebound Ace courts on Thursday.
The big-serving Philippoussis, who guided Australia to victory on clay in the 1999 Davis Cup final in Nice against France, was in fine touch during a one-hour session on court on Thursday, despite suffering a series of coughing fits.
"I've just got some phlegm so that will go in a couple of days," the 26-year-old said.
Hewitt, who lost in the quarter-finals of the U.S. Open lastweek to Juan Carlos Ferrero, is suffering from a left hip injury which affected his serve at Flushing Meadows but is expected to join Philippoussis in Melbourne later this week.
"He is okay," Australia's non-playing Davis Cup captain John Fitzgerald told reporters.
"He ran a lot of miles over there on those hard courts and you get a bit sore sometimes. That's nothing out of the ordinary."
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