Great piece by Lisa Dillman in today’s LA Times on Philippoussis, who’s playing challengers and working out in Lost Wages with Darren Cahill and Gil Reyes. Most of all I love the title, “Taking a Minor Detour“. Yea, minor detour. If that’s what you wanna call it. Sure.

Even the most well-meaning fan has a way of cutting to the quick, coming down with tennis-shoe-in-mouth disease.

Two-time Grand Slam finalist Mark Philippoussis, a former top-10 player from Australia, has had it happen, and not just once, forcing him to reassess the state of Scud.
‘I remember going shopping a few times and as I give my credit card, they’ll go, ‘Oh you’re Mark Philippoussis, I’m such a fan of yours,’ ‘ he said. ‘And then they say, ‘So, how long ago did you retire?’ I’m thinking, ‘I’d better start winning some matches.’

At least they weren’t asking: Didn’t you used to be Mark Philippoussis?

She totally stole that last line from me. No worries, I love that too.

(Via Off the Baseline: Tennis News.)