Philippoussis pops up everywhere but on the court

Rumours and sightings of the hard-luck former star have been popping up all over Melbourne in the run-up to the tournament.

 The last word from the two-time Grand Slam finalist whose career has fallen on the hardest of times came when he injured his knee - again - during last month's Australian Open wildcard playoffs.

 With reports of a fifth career surgery around the corner, contrasting mutterings around town go so far as to say the 31-year-old may instead have his eyes on appearing in the Aussie version of Dancing with the Stars.

 He won't be the first Aussie star to go down that road, following on from Todd Woodbridge and Alicia Molik.

 The man they once called the Scud for his rocket serve had an infamous brush with reality TV last year when a dating show in which he starred, The Age of Love, bombed out internationally.

 In the meantime, the weekend's international poker extravaganza at the city's riverside Crown casino is expecting Philippoussis to sit down at the green baize after fronting up the 10,000-dollar entry fee.

 Tennis, however, seems to be out of the question for the former Wimbledon and US Open finalist - but not to Philippoussis. He has reportedly told friends that he still wants to resume a career which has stalled over the past two seasons. Experts pronounce that unrealistic.

 Even an occasional Australian Open color commentary job with the Seven Network might be available if Philippoussis finds himself at a loose end over the next fortnight.