The theory that tennis is played predominantly “between the ears” was supported when a teenaged Mark Philippoussis faced dominant world No.1 Pete Sampras at Australian Open 1996 – and beat him in straight sets in the third round.
The Australian had worked hard to develop an intimidating power game, believed his weapons could hurt anybody, and was determined to enjoy the experience of playing on the biggest court, under lights, at his home Grand Slam.
“I specifically remember that really nice long walk down to the centre court where you see all the past champions. I remember he was walking in front of me and ... I'm like, 'this guy's No.1 in the world'. And I'm like, 'you know, eff this guy, man, I'm going to go out and beat him'," Philippoussis told ausopen.com.
"It's Melbourne. I was born and raised (here), my family's there, my team is there, the crowd is there. And I just thought, enjoy it. Soak it in, enjoy it, because this is what I dreamt of as a kid, these situations, and a night like this.”
You can watch how Philippoussis’ third-round win unfolded on the Australian Open YouTube channel, the latest full match set to premiere on the channel and where more will follow.
Rising star
Philippoussis’ self-confidence was not misplaced, despite what appeared a one-sided match-up.
He was a 19-year-old, ranked 40th, playing in only his fourth Grand Slam main draw, while Sampras entered as the reigning Wimbledon and US Open champion.
However, Philippoussis was coming off a breakout 1995 season, during which he soared from world No.275 to a peak of No.32 – one of the largest ranking improvements in a single year – and was named ATP Newcomer of the Year.
While he reached three ATP tournament finals in 1995, Philippoussis’ most notable performance that year was arguably his run to the third round of the US Open, where he first encountered Sampras.
Suzi Petkovski, an Australian tennis writer who profiled Philippoussis for Inside Sport not long afterward, recalled the significance of that clash in New York.
"He just wowed the 21,000 fans that packed in there, and he really took it up to Sampras. The fans loved his big-hitting game,” Petkovski said of the “explosive” match, which Sampras won 6-7(5) 7-5 7-5 6-3.
"Pete had heard about him, of course; he was intrigued at their shared Greek ancestry and he knew all about his firepower, but he said later he'd never faced a bigger second serve.
"Sampras was wary – he knew what this kid could produce.”
Hype and build-up
The performance attracted plenty of international attention, even paving the way for a stint with famed American coach Nick Bollettieri.
But the excitement was even bigger in Australia.
The emerging star, who had become his country’s No.1 player, was playing a brand of tennis previously unseen among Australian players, and arrived at a time when Aussie representation at the very top of the game was slim.
No Australian man had beaten a world No.1 at a major since Pat Cash defeated Ivan Lendl in the semifinals of Australian Open 1988. And while Australia had several ATP top-50 players in the early 1990s, nobody was pushing close to the top 10 and very rarely deep into the second week of Grand Slams.
AUSTRALIAN MEN BEATING WORLD NO.1s AT MAJORS (since 1988)
“There was excitement that we finally had a big man, playing a big man's game, who could take it to the top players, the Samprases, Beckers and Agassis, fighting fire with fire,” Petkovski said.
"If he could push the world No.1 at his home Slam and give Sampras his toughest test at that tournament, what could he do on his own turf, in his home town?
"By the time this match came around, we were very excited about what Mark Philippoussis could do.”
Like many players, Philippoussis preferred to focus only on the match in front of him, waiting until his subsequent press conference to find out who he played next.
But when the Australian Open 1996 men’s singles draw was revealed, projecting a third-round match between Sampras and Philippoussis, it became more challenging to remain present.
“I think, unfortunately, that was a tough one to keep quiet,” said Philippoussis, who beat Nicolas Kiefer and Eyal Ran – his first AO main-draw wins – to progress to the last 32.
“So I knew that was ahead.”
The match itself
With Sampras beating Richard Fromberg and Michael Joyce, the blockbuster was booked for the first Saturday night of the tournament, beneath a closed roof.
Buoyed by a passionate crowd, it was the young Aussie who emerged the better player.
The match was dominated by the serve – Petkovski notes that 40 per cent of all points were determined by service winners – but Philippoussis did not have it all his own way, with Sampras moving ahead 5-2 in the second-set tiebreak.
At this crucial juncture, one might expect the more experienced player, and game’s towering No.1, to assert themselves. Yet Philippoussis did not let Sampras take control, saving two set points before securing what would be an unassailable two-sets-to-love lead.
Philippoussis believed this composure came not only from playing the great American at the US Open, but also from first hitting with him as a junior at a Hong Kong exhibition, then taking part in a training camp at Sampras’ Santa Monica base prior to AO 1996.
“Those count. Like, those matter. They make a difference,” Philippoussis said. “You’re kind of getting over the aura of playing against this guy that you've watched on TV. So yeah, I think having practice sessions help a lot … I was on the court quite a bit with him.”
Petkovski, sitting inside Rod Laver Arena for this match, remembers that Sampras “never got close” to breaking serve in the third set.
“We kind of almost expect Aussies to be better on grass, to do (something like this) on grass. But to do it on a hard court… it was huge,” she said of his eventual 6-4 7-6(9) 7-6(3) triumph.
“It really made us think that a new era of Australian tennis could be upon us.”
Aftermath
A new era was very much dawning, because this match, and result, reverberated in more ways than one.
For Philippoussis, this was not immediate; he lost his very next match to Mark Woodforde 6-2 6-2 6-2, a performance he attributed to inexperience and a significant emotional come-down.
He rose rapidly from there. In 1997 he hit world No.13, and in 1998 reached his first Grand Slam final at the US Open. In 1999 he cracked the top 10, won his first ATP Masters 1000 title and helped clinched the Davis Cup trophy for Australia.
“Oh it definitely helped me. I always had that self-belief. But I showed it, you know, as far as I went out there and did it, not just believed it and wished it. So the result was there,” said Philippoussis, who defeated Sampras again at Roland Garros in 2000 and reached a second major final at Wimbledon in 2003.
“That was one thing; when I went out on the court, I always wanted to dictate the play and play my kind of tennis. So that (result) definitely was something that helped my game, as far as my confidence going forward."
The performance heralded a golden era of Australian tennis. Just over 18 months later, a second major force appeared in Pat Rafter, who won the 1997 US Open and defended his title in 1998, beating Philippoussis to do so – the first all-Aussie Grand Slam final in 22 years.
A year later, Lleyton Hewitt truly arrived, joining Philippoussis and Rafter in the top 25 before quickly progressing to world No.1 and winning two major titles.
The trio anchored a Davis Cup dynasty which saw Australia reach four finals, and win two, between 1999 and 2003.
"Philippoussis gave cover to Rafter and Hewitt to kind of develop off the radar a bit, because he took all the attention and expectations," Petkovski said of Philippoussis’ AO 1996 breakthrough.
That 1996 result also shaped the way the Australian Open was presented.
"I remember that the anticipation around this match, and the outcome, really propelled night tennis at the Australian Open,” Petkovski said.
“Increasingly, the blockbusters were scheduled for night.”