Mark Philippoussis will draw on the experience of his first Grand Slam final tomorrow when he seeks to lift the Wimbledon title.
The unseeded Australian will go into the final as clear underdog against fourth seed Roger Federer but buoyed by the ease with which he defeated Frenchman Sebastien Grosjean in a one-sided semi-final.
His 7-6 6-3 6-3 victory, which came in complete contrast to his previous marathon efforts against Andre Agassi and Alexander Popp, enabled him to bridge a five-year gap between Grand Slam finals.
Philippoussis was just 21 when he lost to Pat Rafter in an all-Australian final of the US Open and he is confident of being able to learn the lessons from 1998.
"I was extremely nervous," he recalled. "It was my first Grand Slam and I was playing a fellow countryman, Pat, who had won it the year before.
"It was a new experience for me. I can definitely take some experience away from that."
Philippoussis is not only older and wiser since his run in New York but also fitter after putting his injury nightmare behind him.
Two years ago he spent two months confined to a wheelchair after undergoing a third knee operation in 14 months and wondered if he would ever be able to play again at the highest level.
Philippoussis has given much of the credit for his recuperation to his Greek-born father Nick, who has rejoined him as coach following a split with Peter McNamara.
