Mark Philippoussis

From AAP:

SYDNEY, Feb 4 AAP - The extent of the task facing Mark Philippoussis was apparent as he began his latest bid to rebuild his tennis career at a Challenger event in Dallas, Texas.
Playing in an event with a winner's purse of just $US7,200 ($A8,150), 33-year-old Philippoussis lost 6-4 6-4 to journeyman American Michael Yani in a late night first-round match.
Fellow Australian Carsten Ball, the second seed, advanced with a
6-3 6-4 win over Ecuador's Giovanni Lappenti as he looks to boost his Davis Cup selection hopes.
Unranked after being away from the ATP Tour since November 2006, former world No.8 Philippoussis said ahead of the tournament his aim was to play his way back onto the tour.
``I'm a long way away from that happening, but that's what I'm working toward,'' he told the Star-Telegram in Dallas.
The former Davis Cup hero and two-time grand slam singles finalist has trimmed down to ease stress on the knees which have undergone six bouts of surgery and says he weighs 93.5kg compared to 97.5kg when he had one of his best years in 2003.
The big serve was still helpful as he reportedly served 12 aces against 28-year-old world No.161 Yani.
Asked beforehand what he had to do to compete against players
10 to 12 years younger, he said: "It's all physical for me. The hitting part was never the problem. I have to be as physically fit and strong as I am capable of being."

On his place i would at least count on playing doubles! Not much running,and experience he already has.

Nice for nostalgia, but what's he aiming at achieving? He's 33, countless operations, it'd surely take at least a year of grinding to get any game back, then he has to work his way up the rankings, and challengers are HARD for 30+ guys.

For those actually interested (I, myself, believe the "comeback" is a crock), but Philippoussis lost in straight sets to Yani 4 and 4 in the Dallas challenger earlier.

A user on a forum website who was courtside at the match had this to say;

"...I was actually pleasantly surprised. He put up a respectable performance.

His movement sucks, though. BIG TIME. I could have moved faster running backwards.

His first serve was solid. I would guess his winning % on it was around 80%, maybe slightly above. That's what kept this somewhat close...second serve wasn't anything special, although not terrible in my opinion. His return game was what really let him down, though. Yani's serve isn't good, but Mark just couldn't do anything on it. He had one break point, possibly two, I don't remember. His movement prevented him from doing anything with it. He made Yani's service games look like Roddick's. He got creamed in most rallies that lasted more than 3 shots. Yani would move him to one side and Mark would have to hit a winner or he'd be unable to recover in time.

To be honest I feel sorry for him. He was having some fun with the crowd and was very polite to Yani. He was signing autographs for the ballkids at the end. It was obvious he really wanted to win, but I think he knew he just wasn't there. If he stays healthy and scrubs off some of the rust he could do okay on the challenger circuit. His body just doesn't seem to be letting him move well, and that's going to hold him back. He didn't follow his serve into the net very often, and I think his movement was to blame."

Todd Woodbridge, becoming widely regarded as one of the sport's most knowledgeable commentators not only here in Aus but world-wide, said he believed Scud did not have the physical stamina nor the hunger required to make a full-scale return to the sport.

From the Dallas news daily:

The Challenger of Dallas, an event generally reserved for middling veterans and young players who haven't made their mark, will feature two-time Grand Slam finalist Mark Philippoussis. The tennis tournament runs today through Saturday at T Bar M Racquet Club.

Philippoussis, 33, hasn't played a tour level event since the Maui Challenger in late 2006, a series of knee injuries and surgeries sidelining him.

Since then, he's found his way into headlines through ways other than tennis. In 2007, he appeared as the main star on the Bachelor -esque reality TV show, The Age of Love.

Last summer, Philippoussis, who didn't respond to interview requests, told a Sydney newspaper, The Herald Sun, he was broke. In September, the Sun reported that he owed the IRS about $500,000.

Philippoussis began playing senior tour events last fall, and when it became apparent he would try to play on the regular tour, Australian national team coach Todd Woodbridge told the Sun he doubted that Philippoussis could contend.

National men's coach Todd Woodbridge believes Mark Philippoussis should stick to the seniors tour rather than put his ageing, injury-ravaged body through another comeback. Woodbridge, who is also Australia's Davis Cup coach, doubts whether the 33-year-old former world No.8 could ever be a serious contender on the ATP tour again. Philippoussis, who has undergone knee surgery six times, played in the Champions Tour (seniors) event in London last week, declaring his intention to make a regular tour comeback. But Woodbridge was sceptical, with the former US Open and Wimbledon finalist out of the game through injury for the past three years. Philippoussis last played on the ATP tour in the 2006 US Open when he was beaten in the first round by Rafael Nadal. ''At his age … it's a tough road,'' Woodbridge said. ''When you look at him and what he's done to try to get back out on court, playing at Albert Hall, I think that's probably a better focus for him."

LONDON, Dec 2 AAP - Mark Philippoussis has taken a tentative step towards what he hopes will be a comeback to the international tennis tour.
As unlikely as a return seems for the injury-prone, 33-year-old Australian who has undergone knee surgery six times, he looks the part.
Philippoussis, lost to Greg Rusedski, who is three years his senior, 6-4 6-7 (4-7) 10-3 in his opening match of the AEGON Masters senior event in London on Wednesday.
But, considerably slimmer than during his elite career and more content than he has been in a long time, Philippoussis showed he wasn't just talking the talk.
His fight back from a break down in the second set, refusal to give up at 8-0 down in the Champions tie-break and spitting serve that hit 214kph, suggest the former US Open and Wimbledon finalist won't hang up his racquet wondering.
``I can't say what's realistic and what's not, but I can only say that in my heart I would love to give it one more go,'' Philippoussis said of a return to the ATP Tour.
``Whether that's possible, time will tell.''

LONDON, Nov 3 AAP - Mark Philippoussis hopes his appearance at London's Masters Tennis next month will spark a comeback that ultimately allows him to exit the sport on his own terms.
The Australian's appearance at the Royal Albert Hall comes after his career on the men's tour ended three years ago because of knee injuries.
``My last operation was five months ago, and I'm getting better and stronger each day,'' Philippoussis told Britain's The Daily Telegraph.
``The Albert Hall is such a beautiful place to play tennis, and I know that it will be a fun tournament, without any stress or pressure. I'm going to be playing tennis again because I want to play, just like how it was when I was a kid.
``I would love to play in a Challenger tournament again, maybe a tour event, and maybe another grand slam, one more Australian Open, or one more Wimbledon. I feel as though I have unfinished business. I would like to go out from this sport on my terms.''
The Masters Tennis, from December 1-6, is the final event of the ATP Champions Tour and will feature fellow Australians Pat Rafter and Pat Cash, Goran Ivanisevic, Stefan Edberg, Henri Leconte and Greg Rusedski.
The appearance fee could come in handy for one-time luxury car enthusiast Philippoussis, whose life in the fast lane crashed dramatically when he ran out of money and was forced to sell his Melbourne home.
``The situation I've been through, it's been tough and it's been nasty. I had to sell the house a couple of months ago,'' the former Wimbledon and US Open runner-up said.