2 Responses to daviscup99australia_france

1. Voo de Mar says:

   December 2, 2020 at 3:30 pm

   Points won by each set: | 28-22, 33-40, 26-17, 30-17 |
   Points won directly behind the serve:
   36 % Philippoussis – 39 of 108
   22 % Pioline – 24 of 105

   The French federation decided to host Australia on clay to neutralise all Australians because clay was the least favourable surface for them all (the same did USA in 1990 and Germany in 1993). This strategy didn’t pay off because Philippoussis [19] – considered as the best server of the late 90s (along with Rusedski) – enjoyed the venue playing indoors, and his serve worked exceptionally well in his both rubbers… Pioline [13] applied a bit surprising strategy attacking the net constantly on serve, perhaps he felt the toil of the Friday match against Hewitt – three sets, but in terms of time (3 hours 40 minutes) it was like a solid 5-setter, so I guess the Frenchman wanted to avoid longer rallies, but against someone like Philippoussis, who didn’t like them, it was a strange tactics anyway. Pioline saved a set point at *4:5 (30/40) in the 2nd set with a stretch-volley, won the set, and began the 3rd one with two spectacular points. The rest was anticlimactic – he lost five straight games and seemed physically spent. The Australian was fully focused, and his returns & passing-shots were rather above his standards in the last two sets. In the last game of the match, Pioline wasn’t able to return even one off the serves of the Australian sending them all long or into the net. Four years later Philippoussis will win another clincher, equalling achievement of Pat Cash who enjoyed won two clinchers in the years 1983 & 86. “It is the best match Mark has played with his head in his life,” the team captain, Newcombe said. “He didn’t have any highs or lows in the match – just highs.”

   Serve & volley: Philippoussis 7/12, Pioline 14/33

   AUSTRALIA d. FRANCE 3-2 in Acropolis Exhibition Hall, Nice, France: Clay (Indoor)
   Mark Philippoussis (AUS) d. Sebastien Grosjean (FRA) 6-4, 6-2, 6-4
   Cedric Pioline (FRA) d. Lleyton Hewitt (AUS) 7-6(7), 7-6(6), 7-5
   Todd Woodbridge / Mark Woodforde (AUS) d. Olivier Delaitre / Fabrice Santoro (FRA) 2-6, 7-5, 6-2, 6-2
   Mark Philippoussis (AUS) d. Cedric Pioline (FRA) 6-3, 5-7, 6-1, 6-2
   Sebsatien Grosjean (FRA) d. Lleyton Hewitt (AUS) 6-4, 6-3

   

   From left: John Newcombe (captain), Todd Woodbridge, Mark Woodforde, Lleyton Hewitt & Mark Philippoussis

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2. Voo de Mar says:

   November 29, 2023 at 7:51 pm

   Australia’s route to the title: Zimbabwe 4-1, USA 4-1, Russia 4-1, France 3-2

   Points:
   4 – Patrick Rafter
   3.5 – Lleyton Hewitt
   2.5 – Mark Philippoussis
   1.5 – Wayne Arthurs
   1 – Mark Woodforde, Todd Woodbridge
   0 – Sandon Stolle

   There’s an interesting fact connected to the conclusive Philippoussis vs Pioline rubber – it was the last vital match in tennis history with old rules, so no break for sitting on the bench at the end of sets with even number of games (6-2, 6-4, 7-5)

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