Mark Philippoussis back in fold to face India

Agence France-Presse, Melbourne, Australia

Mark Philippoussis has returned to the Australian team for the Davis Cup World Group tennis playoff with India in Adelaide next month.

Cup captain John Fitzgerald said on Tuesday that Philippoussis, ranked number 71 in the world, would join world No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt on the Australian team.

They will be the most likely singles candidates for the playoff at Memorial Drive in Adelaide from Sept. 20 through Sept. 22.

Todd Woodbridge, Wayne Arthurs and Scott Draper are also on the team announced by Fitzgerald.

"It has brought a smile to all of us," Fitzgerald said of the return of Philippoussis. "They're all very pleased, they all understand potentially what a great player he is and have a lot of respect for his game."

Philippoussis, runner-up to compatriot Patrick Rafter in the 1998 U.S. Open, has had problems with a left knee injury which has curtailed his progress.

But Fitzgerald said that Philippoussis had confided to him after bowing out of this year's Australian Open to Greg Rusedski here in the second round, that he wanted to play Davis Cup again as soon as he was fit.

"I've been aware for quite a while that he wants to play for Australia but it's fair to say that his knee hasn't been great the last couple of years," Fitzgerald said.

"It's been a serious injury and it's taken quite a while for him to find his feet again - particularly over five sets.

"He feels that after having a pretty substantial couple of months that he's strong and confident enough with his knee to put his hand up."

Philippoussis played a key role in Australia's 1999 Davis Cup final victory over France in Nice.

He last played Davis Cup in February 2000 in a first round win over Switzerland.

The win over the French, when Philippoussis played the leading role, was an unlikely sequel to his refusal to play against Zimbabwe in Mildura, Victoria state, in a tie the previous year.

Sparked by a fallout with previous captain John Newcombe, Philippoussis nevertheless turned up in Mildura causing a distraction.

Hewitt will doubtless welcome the return to an ITF-run event after his recent battles with the ATP over a disputed television interview, a huge fine and subsequent threats of legal action.

Arthurs was seen as the fall guy when he lost the vital final reverse singles match against Nicolas Escude as Australia fell to France in a controversial cup final here last December.

But Fitzgerald said the big-serving left-hander had overcome a poor summer to rise to impressive form and had performed creditably in the final.

"I thought he handled the pressure fairly well. He wasn't far away. If he hadn't played a player in such form as Escude was I'm confident he would have won," Fitzgerald said.

"His ranking is now is in the 50s (53) and a lot of those ranking points are in recent months. If he continues this form there's a realistic chance he'll top his best ranking in the next three or four months."

Australia will play an Indian side, led by serve-volleyer Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi.

Although Australia won the last match between the two countries, 5-0 in India in 1993, Fitzgerald is keenly aware of a 3-2 loss on grass in Sydney in 1987.

"We're taking them very seriously. We want to apply ourselves as well as we possibly can and get into the race for next year," he said.