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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Stich Sends Muster Packing Court Conditions, Faster Balls Factors As French Champ Bows Out

Julie Cart Los Angeles Times

With not a bang but a whine and a grunt, Thomas Muster, the defending French Open men’s champion, was sent packing Monday, the ignominy compounded by the fact that springing the upset was not a clay-court specialist but a serve-and-volley player.

Losing in the fourth round of a Grand Slam tournament whose title you hold is bad enough, but losing on terms dictated by your opponent was more than Muster could bear. The No. 2-seeded Austrian refused to acknowledge that Michael Stich’s attacking style might have given him a tactical advantage, despite Stich’s convincing 4-6, 6-4, 6-1, 7-6 (7-1) victory.

Muster and other clay-court stars who thrive on the normally slow surface have been thwarted by the fast conditions this year. The weather has been one culprit- mostly sunny days have baked the red clay into an asphalt-like slickness. Also playing a part are the French-made Dunlop balls, which have been reduced in size to the legal minimum and are 10 percent faster.

The advance of attacking players such as Stich, Pete Sampras, Goran Ivanisevic, Stefan Edberg and Marc Rosset to the final 16 indicates that conventional wisdom about winning on clay be discounted.

“For the attacking players this week, the last 10 days, the courts are fast, obviously,” Stich said. “That can change in a second, you know. Two days of rain and everything is going to go the other way. This year, everything has been going perfect for the guys who serve and volley and can use their serve as a weapon. I think it’s been high-quality tennis. The fact that a lot of serve-and-volleyers are still in the tournament right now just proves that.”

Still, the only person shocked by Stich’s win was Muster, who - even in the face of Stich’s 23 service aces to his zero - said a big serve is not a factor on clay.

Muster said a few weeks ago he’d rather win here than be No. 1 again. Yet Monday he downplayed the disappointment.

“I’ve won this tournament,” he said. “I don’t think they’re going to take my name away on Court 1 because I lost. It’s a disappointment right now, but when I wake up tomorrow, I hopefully have the same hair, so I cannot be worried too much.”

It was Stich who was worried coming in. He pulled out of the Australian Open because of an ankle injury and had major surgery in March. At the Italian Open in mid-May, he talked of not playing in Paris.

“I said, ‘I don’t know if I should go to France and look like an idiot playing on clay.”’

xxxx FRENCH OPEN Winners: Michael Stich, seeded 15th, downed reigning champion Thomas Muster (2) to advance to the quarterfinals. Marc Rosset (14) ousted Stefan Edberg. On the women’s side, Conchita Martinez (3) defeated Amanda Coetzer (14). Losers: Goran Ivanisevic, seeded fifth, was eliminated in straight sets by Bernd Karbacher, ranked 55th. Marcelo Rios (9) lost to Cedric Pioline, also in three sets. A look ahead: In quarterfinal action, No. 1 men’s seed Pete Sampras will take on Jim Courier (7) while Yevgeny Kafelnikov (6) will face Richard Krajicek (13). Defending champion Steffi Graf, co-seeded No. 1 with Monica Seles, will face Iva Majoli (5). Seles will take on Jana Novotna (10) and Conchita Martinez (3) plays Lindsay Davenport (9). Two-time champion Arantxa Sanchez Vicario (4) faces Karina Habsudova.