Has Mark Philippoussis finally found love? In a seven-episode reality series called “Age of Love,” he attempted to discover whether age matters in relationships by dwindling down a two-group field of women – one group in their 20s and the other in their 40s – to one – uh – lucky, lady.
While the choices were diverse and tempting, ranging from a 21-year-old student to a 48-year-old mother, Philippoussis narrowed down the field one woman at a time in drama-filled segments. Those who seemed like virtual shoo-ins were Tessa, the well-endowed blonde who captured the Scud’s attention from the minute they met; Adelaide, the Australian native turned Californian who seemed like a natural choice; and Jayanna, the forty-something whose instant connection and aggressive nature made her the forerunner in the elder group. But none of them made the final cut, mirroring the sometimes perplexing choices he’s has made throughout his tennis career – coaching changes, scrapped comeback attempts, a quickie engagement to his 18-year-old model girlfriend and the ensuing breakup.
At times, Philippoussis had his moments of honesty, thoughtfulness, and insight, giving you hope that he may pull through, as he did a number of times in his tennis career
And how about playing the field? While Mark shared an intimate massage with one contestant one evening, he charmed another, the next, at times, locking lips with more than one woman in one evening. Sounds familiar to the rumors surrounding his involvement with Paris Hilton while he was in a long term relationship with Aussie good girl Delta Goodrem.
Not surprisingly, however, the finalists included a woman from each group, 25-year-old Amanda Salinas and 48-year-old Jennifer Braff. They both flew down with Philippoussis to his native Melbourne to meet with his family before the final elimination ceremony. The smitten Amanda, who professed her love for the tennis pro in virtually every episode, was chosen in the end, over twice-married Jen, who had a son nearly Flip’s age.
On a windy afternoon, on a pier on the Australian coast, Philippoussis made his choice.
“From the start, this has just been an amazing journey,” he told the Tennessee native Salinas. “I would love for you to continue that journey with me.”
“I don’t know what life has in store for us. I don’t know at all, but let’s begin this journey and see where it takes us.”
It all made for good, albeit cheesy, television. The women’s candor and catfights made for a reality hit, but it remains to be seen whether Scud’s a stud or dud when it comes to making love last an age. So far so good he and Salinas attended the “Age of Love” Finale Viewing Party at the EXTRA Lounge at the Planet Hollywood Resort and Spa in Las Vegas together on August 6, looking pretty cozy. Among the other party guests were Murphy Jensen and Andre Agassi’s fitness guru Gil Reyes, who is now working with Philippoussis.
Whenever he makes his anticipated return to tennis, perhaps we’ll see a familiar female face in his box. But it may be a victory just to see the Scud himself back on the court.
Can’t get enough of the Scud? He is considering another reality flick. "I've been approached by a couple of people from American TV," he told the Melbourne Herald Sun. "They want to do a reality documentary on me about my comeback in tennis. I don't know if that's going to happen, but that's something that they want to do."