The perennial problem men's tennis has to face is that by this time of the year, when the showcase Masters Cup and the Davis Cup final are played, most players are physically struggling to put one foot in front of another.

There is no doubting that the patriotic Pat Rafter would love to be part of a winning team when Australia play this year's final against Spain in Barcelona next month. But to do that he almost certainly needs Lleyton Hewitt by his side, and the 19-year-old is suffering from mysterious stomach problems.

Last year, when Rafter was injured, Australia turned to Mark Philippoussis. But, since then, the unpredictable Philippoussis has turned his back on his country.

Both Rafter and Philippoussis reached the last 16 of the Paris Open yesterday, Rafter defeating Julien Boutter of France 6-3, 6-2, and Philippoussis winning 1-6, 76, 7-6 against Slovakia's Dominik Hrbaty.

The Australians have set up a training camp in Marbella, with Rafter hoping Hewitt will join him there. The additional complication is that Hewitt has qualified for the Masters Cup in Lisbon, the week before the Davis Cup.