``It will give tennis a huge shot in the arm in Australia, no question about that,'' said Australian Davis Cup coach Tony Roche after Patrick Rafter beat Mark Philippoussis yesterday in the first all-Australian men's Open final in 28 years.

``It should do wonders because they are both very attractive, very athletic, play exciting kind of tennis and I think the young kids can identify with that,'' said Roche, who lost the 1970 Open final to compatriot Ken Rosewall.

``You got to go back to the 60's and 70's, and it was quite common to see two maybe three Australians in the semifinals,'' said Roche, also runner-up in the 1969 Open final when compatriot Rod ``The Rocket'' Laver completed the Grand Slam.

``We have a great tradition in Australia in tennis. It is just fabulous to see that situation again,'' saidRoche from the player's lounge at the National Tennis Centre.

Rafter, 25, made his Grand Slam breakthrough last year when he won the Open for his first major title. This year was coming out party for promising 21-year-old Philippoussis.

``Instead of having one guy, Rafter, we got the twin towers,'' said Paul McNamee, who retired in 1988 after winning three Grand Slam doubles crowns with countryman Peter McNamara.

Rafter was just a year old when John Newcombe won the 1973 US Open, the last Australian to win the Open crown before Rafter's victory last year.

``The way he (Rafter) plays is the way that we like to see the game played,'' said Roche, who has served as a mentor to Rafter. ``We were taught and brought up to play aggressive serve and volley tennis.''

Said three-time Wimbledon champion Newcombe: ``He plays a very offensive game, taking the attack to his opponent, he enjoys the combat.''

The old timers said Rafter reminded them of one of their contemporaries.

``We think he is got a similarpressure type of game to Roy Emerson,'' Newcombe said of the Australian whose 12 Grand Slam men's singles titles tops the all-time list. ``To play that type of game you have to be a very physically fit player.''

The last Grand Slam men's champion from Australia was 1986 Wimbledon champion Pat Cash, who is now coaching Philippoussis.