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Call it a comeback Philippoussis, Chang advance at Eurocard Open
Posted: Monday October 25, 1999 05:59 PM
STUTTGART, Germany (AP) -- Mark Philippoussis, playing only his fifth match since knee surgery in July, beat Gianluca Pozzi 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 Monday to advance to the second round of the Eurocard Open. Philippoussis injured his knee in a quarterfinal match against Pete Sampras in Wimbledon. He tried to come back in August, losing in the first round in Indianapolis, and did not play again until earlier this month. "I tried to come back too soon, I definitely wasn't ready," said Philippoussis, a U.S. Open finalist in 1988. "I am definitely ready now," the Australian said after dispatching Pozzi, an Italian qualifier. Philippoussis will find out just how ready he is in the next round, when he plays top-ranked Andre Agassi. "If I play good tennis, it's going to be tough for him. It's also going to be tough for me, but I'm looking forward to it," said Philippoussis, who is 3-2 in his comeback. "I've been training extremely hard, feeling physically great," he said. "It does take a couple of matches, just playing those tough points. I played the tough points extremely well today." Agassi and all other seeded players had a bye into the second round. Apart from Sampras, Patrick Rafter and Carlos Moya, who are injured, all other top ranked players are at the US$2.45 million tournament, one of the so-called Super 9 series. In other matches, Michael Chang beat Rainer Schuettler 3-6, 7-6 (7-4), 6-2, and Chris Woodruff defeated Francisco Clavet 6-1, 6-4. Chang, once ranked second in the world, has dropped to No. 73. A few weeks ago he was No. 76, his lowest ranking since July 1988. "I don't feel like it's time to hang things up," Chang said. "Honestly, in my heart, I have faith that I'll be able to get back up there. "I don't know when. But I have faith that it's going to happen," said the 27-year-old American, a wild card in the event. Goran Ivanisevic, another player rapidly falling in the rankings and another wild card, lost 6-2, 3-6, 7-6 (7-2) to Jiri Novak. Ivanisevic, who won the event in 1993, was serving for the match in the third set but committed consecutive double-faults to drop his serve and eventually the match. Andrei Pavel, also a wild card, beat Fernando Meligeni 3-6, 6-3, 6-4. Philippoussis, one of the biggest servers in the game, complained that the balls were getting too heavy, as officials try to slow down the game. "If they keep slowing down the balls, players are going to get injured, shoulders are going to hurt, your arm is going to ache. There will be no players left," he said. "They are slowing down everything. But no matter what kind of balls you give us, guys are going to still serve aces. "Right now, everyone's serve is getting bigger, everyone is returning well. Doesn't matter of they slow down the courts, slow down the balls, people serve aces," said Philippoussis, who had 20 aces against Pozzi. Pozzi, a 34-year-old veteran and the oldest player in the field, had 12. Philippoussis broke Pozzi's serve to win the match.
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