Well-Aged Edberg Avenges 1989 Defeat
Seven years later, Stefan Edberg gained a measure of revenge against Michael Chang.
The 30-year-old Swede, playing in his 13th and final French Open, put on a masterful serve-and-volley performance Saturday to upset the ailing, fourth-seeded Chang 4-6, 7-5, 6-0, 7-6 (7-1).
“I felt like I was 18 or 19,” the unseeded Edberg said after receiving a standing ovation from the centercourt crowd. “It was a wonderful feeling being out there today. I played some of the best tennis I’ve played for a very, very long time.”
This was a third-round match, but it evoked memories for both players of their 1989 French Open final. Chang rallied that day to beat Edberg in five sets, becoming the youngest Grand Slam champion at the age of 17 years and three months.
Edberg has won every Grand Slam title except the French in his 14-year career.
Edberg remains haunted by the ‘89 match, which he led two sets to one and 4-2 in the fourth before Chang rallied to win.
“I was 23,” he said. “I still saw myself having more chances. As years go by, chances of winning here are getting slimmer. But it’s possible. There’s a tiny, little chance.”
Chang compared Edberg to a “fine French wine.”
“Maybe he gets better with age,” Chang said. “This is the only title he’s never won, and maybe it brings out something special in him.”
Chang was clearly hurting from midway through the second set. Looking listless and making uncharacteristic unforced errors, he dropped nine straight games during one stretch to lose the second and third sets.
Chang said he was affected by the recurrence of a rib cage injury which forced him to pull out of the Italian Open a few weeks ago. He refused to blame the injury for the defeat.
“It bothered me a little bit in the second set, but it wasn’t a problem for me today,” Chang said. “I put some heat on it and it was OK. It wasn’t a factor.”
Injuries played a prominent role elsewhere, with defending champions Thomas Muster and Steffi Graf both advancing to the fourth round when their opponents retired.
Muster was leading 6-2, 5-2 when Romania’s Adrian Voinea quit after twisting his left ankle while hitting a forehand volley in the previous game. Muster offered his shoulder for support as Voinea hobbled off the court.
Graf was ahead 6-0, 1-0 when Petra Langrova gave up after 20 minutes of play with a pulled groin muscle in her left leg. She suffered the injury while chasing a drop shot in the first set.
Graf next faces No. 11 Mary Joe Fernandez, who beat Italian Gloria Pizzichini 6-2, 6-3. It will be a replay of the ‘93 final, won by Graf .
Other women advancing were No. 3 Conchita Martinez, who beat Ann Grossman 6-2, 6-1; No. 5 Iva Majoli, who struggled for 2 hours, 45 minutes before subduing Sandrine Testud - the last French woman in the draw - 4-6, 7-5, 6-4; No. 7 Kimiko Date, a 6-3, 7-5 winner over Linda Wild; and No. 9 Lindsay Davenport, who stopped Yayuk Basuki 6-3, 6-2.
In men’s play, No. 5 Goran Ivanisevic overpowered Bohdan Ulihrach 6-4, 6-2, 6-2; No. 9 Marcelo Rios swept Petr Korda 6-3, 6-3, 6-2; No. 14 Marc Rosset beat Swiss Davis Cup teammate Jakob Hlasek 6-4, 6-4, 6-1; and No. 15 Michael Stich set up a fourth-round encounter against Muster with a 4-6, 6-0, 6-4, 7-6 (7-3) win over Mikael Tillstrom.
The men’s round of 16 features an unusually high number of serve-andvolleyers and big hitters, including Pete Sampras, Richard Krajiceck, Ivanisevic, Rosset, Stich and Edberg. No pure attacking player has won the French since Yannick Noah in ‘83.
Edberg was on the attack from the beginning against Chang, always looking for an opportunity to charge the net. He came in behind his first serve, chipped and charged on Chang’s second serve, moved up on any short ball.
While blanking Chang in the third set, Edberg won 13 straight points in one stretch.
xxxx PARIS - A quick look at Saturday, the sixth day of the French Open: Attendance: 32,221 spectators, a record for a sixth day of the tournament, 781 more than last year on the same day. Winners: Stefan Edberg beat Michael Chang (No. 4) in a replay of the 1989 final, which Chang won. Reigning champion Thomas Muster, seeded second, advanced to the fourth round after Adrian Voinea of Romania twisted his ankle and was forced to retire in the second set. Goran Ivanisevic (5) ousted Czech Bohdan Ulihrach and Marcelo Rios (9) defeated Petr Korda. In women’s action, co-No. 1 Steffi Graf advanced when Petra Langrova pulled a groin muscle and abandoned in the second set. Conchita Martinez (3), Iva Majoli (5) and Lindsay Davenport (9) also won. Losers: Barbara Paulus (16) was eliminated from the tournament in the third round, losing to qualifier Gala Leon Garcia, ranked 107th. Look ahead: No. 1 Pete Sampras will take on Australia’s Scott Draper in fourth-round play today. Yevgeny Kafelnikov (6) will face Spain’s Francisco Clavet while Jim Courier (7) will play Wayne Ferreira (10). Graf, will take on Mary Joe Fernandez, seeded 11th. Monica Seles, who shares the No. 1 spot with Graf, will face Magdalena Maleeva (13). Quote of the day: “This was a good revenge … Another four matches would really make up for it.” - Edberg after winning against Chang, to whom he lost in the ‘89 final.