Mark Philippoussis exclusive: 'It's very easy to forget about the reasons you started playing in the first place'

[Finn Balor-☠]

f Pete Sampras was the tennis equivalent of Manchester United's winning machine in the 1990s, then perhaps Mark Philippoussis was its answer to Liverpool's so-called 'Spice Boys'.

Similarly glamorous and attention-grabbing, Philippoussis was a fine player, who reached two grand-slam finals and twice won the deciding rubber to deliver the Davis Cup to Australia. Philippoussis's go-for-broke style was built around a serve so fearsome it earned him the nickname "Scud", in homage to the famous missile.  

Away from the court, Philippoussis was known for his colourful love life, which at times resembled the kind of far-fetched soap opera produced in his homeland. Fellow player Anna Kournikova, singer...