RAOUX STUNS PHILIPPOUSSIS.

Byline: Joe Jares Daily News Staff Writer

Guillaume Raoux - unpronouncable if not unbeatable - has continued his run through the Australian Davis Cup team.

Friday at the Infiniti Open at the L.A. Tennis Center, the stocky, 27-year-old Frenchman, unseeded here and ranked only 80th in the world, beat No. 3-seed Mark Philippoussis 7-6 (7-5), 6-4.

This came one day after he had ousted fifth-seed Patrick Rafter.

(In case Raoux manages to go even further in this event, here's how to say his name: ghee-YOHM ra-ooks. But the ra part is said with a sort of deep-in-the -throat growl.)

In the other quarterfinal matches Friday, No. 2-seed Thomas Enqvist beat Kenneth Carlsen 6-3, 7-5, top-seed Goran Ivanisevic beat Byron Black 7-6 (7-3), 6-2 and sixth-seed Jim Courier beat fourth-seed Richard Krajicek 7-6 (7-5), 7-5.

Raoux was the No. 2 junior in the world back in 1988 but hasn't lived up to his promise as a professional. He has won only one tournament, in Brisbane, Australia, five years ago.

But last year he was a vital part of France's winning Davis Cup team. In the semis, Italy got off to a 2-0 start, then Raoux and Guy Forget started a turnaround by winning doubles. In the final against Sweden, the same thing happened.

Since then, Raoux said, he has had more confidence and has played better on big points.

That was the case against Philippoussis, and Raoux indicated he also outthought his power-hitting opponent.

``He just tries to hit as hard as he can,'' said Raoux. ``Sometimes it works, sometimes he should play with more foxiness. . . .

``My only choice was to get the ball back, make him hit another shot and another shot until he made a mistake.''

Philippoussis in fact made two huge mistakes.

For the third straight match, he lost the first set and fell behind 2-0 in the second. At that point, some in the audience felt the 20-year-old from Melbourne had Raoux right where he wanted him.

Not this time.

The first big mistake came in the eighth game of the first set. Philippoussis was up a break but let Raoux back in the set by putting an incredibly easy smash into the net. Raoux went on to take the game and it was 4-4 instead of 5-3 Philippoussis.

When the set got to a tiebreaker, Philippoussis blew an easy backhand volley to fall behind 5-6.

Raoux served better and better in the second set and returned well despite Philippoussis' high-speed deliveries.

``I had the rhythm,'' said Philippoussis, ``but I didn't play the points well. . . .

``The guy's hitting the ball well. I'm not taking anything from the guy at all.''

Ivanisevic, supported by Croatian fans scattered through the crowd (one wore a T-shirt that said, ``Croatian pride''), has little trouble with Black, who is now 0-6 against him.

``My serve was not so good at the start,'' said Ivanisevic. ``I had a lot of double faults. Later I let my arm flow and it was much better.''

Ivanisevic came into the Infiniti with a layer of rust on his game. He played only one exhibition match and nothing else since Wimbledon.

``I came here to practice,'' he said. ``I didn't expect to win any matches. I am very surprised.

``I'm in the semis and I want to make it to the finals.''

United States Davis Cupper Courier looked sharp in the evening match against Krajicek, whom he has now whipped seven times in eight meetings.

That's an impressive stat against a man who has won Wimbledon and twice won tournaments on these courts.

``In the second set, I played a lot better,'' said Courier. ``Overall, it was an early-summer match. It is the first tournament on hardcourts for both of us.

``I can raise it a few levels from here.''In today's singles semifinals, Raoux plays Enqvist is the 1 p.m. feature, Ivanisevic plays Courier at 7:30 (Courier has a 6-3 lifetime record against Ivanisevic, last beating him at the Lipton in March).

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Photo

PHOTO Unseeded Guillaume Raoux raises his arms in triumph after beating Mark Philippoussis.

David Sprague / Daily News