Tennis Davis Cup: Team captain John Fitzgerald hailed Mark Philippoussis as a "national hero" after the 27-year-old battled through the pain barrier to see off Spain's Juan Carlos Ferrero in five sets of high drama to secure Australia the 2003 Davis Cup title in Melbourne.

It was an astonishing victory, as the final 7-5, 6-3, 1-6, 2-6, 6-0 scoreline testified, and the culmination of 15 months of work and dedication for the Australian team after three disappointing seasons.

Australia lost the 2000 Davis Cup final to the Spanish, and the following year's at home to France before Argentina dumped them out in the first round last season.

The squad then made a pact to give all they could this year, re-qualify and bounce back to win the title.

When Ferrero had taken advantage of Philippoussis's injured shoulder and rallied from two sets down to force a deciding set, the entire Australian team had already given up hope.

Lleyton Hewitt was warming up furiously in the changing rooms ready for what he expected to be a match with Carols Moya to decide the destiny of the trophy.

From looking a weary, beaten man, the Spaniard was now dictating the match having run through the second two sets conceding just three games.

The rubber was now level, Ferrero had all the momentum and Philippoussis, in pain, felt the game slipping away. It was time to play his final card.

To try to break Ferrero's stride, Philippoussis took a bathroom break before returning for some intensive treatment on his shoulder.

Team-mate and Saturday's doubles hero Todd Woodbridge felt Philippoussis was "done like a dinner", and coach Wally Masur admitted afterwards he felt the same.

Both sat in astonishment with 15,000 others in the Rod Laver Arena as Philippoussis played "virtually faultless tennis", as Masur described it, to break Ferrero three times and take the final set.