Hewitt and co lead the charge

Monday 25 December 2000

Australian tennis fell painfully short of another memorable year - but need not forget 2000 in a hurry. Despite Australia's unsuccessful Davis Cup defence after losing the final to Spain, the rise and rise of Lleyton Hewitt and Patrick Rafter's against-the-odds run at Wimbledon confirmed the nation's position at the forefront of world tennis. But the tribulations and public trials of Mark Philippoussis and Jelena Dokic sent a chilly reminder to Tennis Australia that there is much work needed to keep it there. Indeed, TA needs to engage in some delicate diplomacy if it wishes to retain the services of two of Australia's most gifted players. In contrast, Hewitt's commitment to his country cannot be questioned. The irrepressible 19-year-old was at the heart of Australia's Davis Cup near-miss. Titles in his home town of Adelaide, Sydney, London and Scottsdale, a final display at the Stuttgart Masters Series event and a maiden grand slam semi-final appearance at the US Open propelled Hewitt to a career-high No.6 spot in the world. The tournament successes took his tally to six, eclipsing the five won by greats Pete Sampras, John McEnroe, Jimmy Connors and Stefan Edberg as teenagers. But Hewitt's punishing schedule has also been linked to a mystery illness that recently sapped his seemingly endless energy reserves, prompting calls to ease his workload. Rafter endured a topsy-turvy comeback from his career-threatening shoulder injury, but his Wimbledon final loss to Sampras - now the game's most prolific grand slam singles winner - somewhat compensated for a series of early-round exits and Davis Cup disappointment. The two-time US Open champion also reached the Lyon decider and triumphed at Hertogenbosch as Australians collected seven titles from 14 final showings in 2000. Philippoussis found success in San Jose and was runner-up in Hong Kong and Paris, and fellow Melburnian Andrew Ilie won in Atlanta and made the final in St Polten. Mark Woodforde and Todd Woodbridge ended their illustrious doubles career as the most successful combination in history, even if their Olympic silver medal wasn't the farewell present they craved. The Woodies completed their set of grand slam titles at the French Open and added a sixth Wimbledon crown along the way to close their union with a world-record 61 tournament victories. The often difficult, but ultimately successful, Newcombe-Tony Roche captain-coach era will leave Australia's Davis Cup team with a legacy of fighting spirit - in more ways than one. From the despair of world-group elimination in Hungary in 1995, to the Mildura low of '98 when the Philippoussis rift first emerged, to the Philippoussis-inspired glory in France last year, the pair have revived Australia's cup fortunes. It's now the job of Fitzgerald and new coach Wally Masur to rekindle Philippoussis' desire to represent his country. Dokic was far and away Australia's best-performed female player this year. Her star shone brightly again at Wimbledon, where she reached the last four, and at the Olympics, the 17-year-old missing a medal only after a playoff for bronze. Dokic also excelled in the Fed Cup, but the ongoing controversies stemming from her erratic father seriously threaten to end her playing days for Australia.