Former Wimbledon champion Pat Cash says he's never experienced abuse and threats like those he received from Mark Philippoussis as their feud boiled over at the Australian Open this week.

Cash and Philippoussis' Davis Cup teammate Todd Woodbridge were both critical of the Scud after he lost to Morocco's Hicham Arazi on Rod Laver Arena on Monday.

While Woodbridge said Philippoussis had always been content to give "70 per cent" on the court, Cash suggested Philippoussis's social activities had distracted him, saying: "It looked like he had been up all night doing whatever ... getting busy."

Philippoussis, whose friendship with Australian singer Delta Goodrem sparked a publicity frenzy during the Open, angrily telephoned Cash after learning of the comments.

"I've been in arguments and fights, having been through a divorce, but I've never, ever been abused and threatened like I was yesterday on the telephone," Cash told Channel Nine.

"As a member of the media and as an ex-player, I think it's completely out of order. I won't accept that behaviour from anybody. I don't appreciate what happened. It's my right to make a comment on what I see on the tennis court.

"It's my job as a tennis pundit, or tennis reporter, to comment on what I see on the tennis court. I think what I say is fair, it's always fair."

Cash, a former coach of Philippoussis who described him in his autobiography as uncommitted and lazy, said he made no direct reference to Goodrem in his widely-publicised remarks.

"I've got no interest in Delta or Mark or whatever ... if Mark's got a girlfriend or doesn't have a girlfriend, it's got no interest whatsoever to me," said Cash.

"It was never my intention to make that insinuation (about Philippoussis and Goodrem). I have no idea about Mark's private life, not the faintest. I never mentioned Delta's name at all, it's got nothing to do with Delta at all."

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