SYDNEY, 2 December 2003 —Australia’s triumphant Davis Cup team were hailed as national heroes yesterday as thousands of fans turned out to cheer them at a civic reception in Melbourne.
The nation’s pain at losing last month’s rugby World Cup final was eased as fans crammed into Federation Square to see the winning quartet of Mark Philippoussis, Lleyton Hewitt, Todd Woodbridge and Wayne Arthurs take the stage.
Melbourne’s Philippoussis received the biggest cheers having defied a painful muscle tear to beat Spain’s world number three Juan Carlos Ferrero in five sets and give the hosts an unassailable 3-1 lead over the Spanish visitors.
Philippoussis told the crowd that Sunday’s win had eclipsed Australia’s last Davis Cup final victory against France in Nice in 1999, when he also won the decisive rubber.
“It was emotional for me too and for all of us definitely,” Philippoussis said. “Nice was an incredible feeling, but this can’t touch it. I was emotional, everyone was emotional and this was just a storybook ending.” Philippoussis, once portrayed as the bad boy of Australian tennis, was lauded by local media with his picture on the front page of every major newspaper in the country.
The Herald Sun wrote: “Philippoussis, the sometimes bad boy of Australian tennis who has polarized fans in the past, would have converted many Scud-skeptics with his performance, which he described as the best of his career.” The Age said Philippoussis had silenced his critics forever.
“Surely no-one could doubt Philippoussis’ ability or heart again,” the paper’s tennis correspondent wrote.
The Australian devoted its editorial to the team’s victory. “This was truly a team effort, with every member supporting the others,” the paper wrote.
