Chang, 16, Is a Puzzle to Wilkison in Victory

To describe Michael Chang’s five-set match against Tim Wilkison at the National Tennis Center, let’s borrow from U.S. Davis Cup captain Tom Gorman’s crossword puzzle.

That is, the one Gorman was concentrating on in the stands during a lull in the first set of Chang’s third-round match Monday at the U.S. Open in Flushing Meadow.

Clue: What did Chang do in the first two sets against the 28-year-old Wilkison? Four letters.

Lose.

Clue: What did Chang, 16, do in the third and fourth sets? Three letters.

Win.

Clue: What happened when Chang was facing break point, serving at 4-3 in the fifth set? Four letters.

Rain.

OK, Gorman never did finish his puzzle, but Chang managed to come up with all the answers as he pulled off a dramatic five-set victory over Wilkison, 4-6, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-5, in front of a packed gallery at Court 16.

The victory sets up a much-anticipated fourth-round match tonight between Chang, of Placentia, and No. 4-ranked Andre Agassi, 18. They’re expected to move into the big time now, the Stadium Court, under the lights and heavy media scrutiny.

These are the two youngsters who have been handed the torch--or, thrown the torch like a hot potato--to lead U.S. men’s tennis out of the minor leagues. Now they are meeting in the biggest match yet at this year’s U.S. Open.

“It isn’t the first time I’ve played him,” said Agassi, a four-set winner over Johan Kriek. “I played (and beat him) in New York before. Every week that goes by when you’re that young, your game takes on new levels. It is unbelievable how much your game can improve in such a short time. I’m sure he is better than when we played before. If he can outdo me for three out of five sets, then he deserves to win.”

Chang, for his part, openly craved a match against Agassi in a high-profile, pressurized setting.

“Definitely,” he said. “He’s 18. I’m 16. It’s at the U.S. Open. Round of 16. It’s a night match. I predict everyone is going to come watch. It’s going to be fun.”

For two sets, however, it didn’t look as though Chang would crash the night meeting with Agassi. He couldn’t hit his trademark passing shots because of Wilkison’s net coverage.

“I thought I was already gone almost,” Chang said. “I think he let up a little in the third set, and all of sudden I was up, 5-0. After that I just fought and fought. . . . In the first two sets, it was like two players were sitting at the net. I was frustrated.”

In the final three sets, Chang made two tactical changes and they paid off, one immediately and the other in the latter stages. He decided to slice his serve more, aiming to make it more difficult for Wilkison to reach the net. Secondly, during a 30-minute rain delay in the fifth set, Chang’s coach, Brian Gottfried, suggested that he take several steps toward the service line on Wilkison’s second serve.

The rain delay seemed to come at a good time. Chang was serving at 4-3, down break point, and appeared ready to begin his motion. The drops started coming down harder from the darkening sky, however, and Chang wisely held up and headed for the locker room.

Although Chang and Wilkison took shelter indoors, most of the crowd didn’t. Neither did U.S. national coach Stan Smith or Gorman, who had put away his puzzle in the excitement. After the rain stopped, the crowd started cheering when Chang reappeared first, jump rope in hand, and started jumping. As Chang increased his pace, the spectators cheered louder, giving the place a rock-concert atmosphere.

Chang pulled out a pretty decent encore. He fought off the break point and held to take a 5-3 lead. Wilkison held and broke back to tie it, 5-5. Then Chang’s second tactic came into play as he approached the service line on Wilkison’s second serve at 5-5, 0-30.

Wilkison, under pressure, double-faulted to give Chang a love-40 lead. Two points later, Chang had the break, and he won it on the next game on his second match point when he hit a backhand cross-court passing shot that caused Wilkison to flub a lunging forehand volley.

“To be able to concentrate like that at 16,” said Gottfried, shaking his head, “that’s pretty incredible.”

Said Wilkison: “I guess his moving in did bother me, because I double-faulted. Before I hit it, I didn’t think it bothered me, but I guess it did.”

As for Chang, he’s busy showing everyone he isn’t bothered by anything. He had won his second-round match in five sets. Monday, he needed five more. The only thing that seemed to surprise him at the Open was when he wasn’t asked to do a news conference after his first-round victory.

This time, Chang charmed the international media, telling funny stories about his junior days and also what he thinks about everything and anything.

“I tell you guys how I feel,” he said. “Even though I’ve never had any media training, I enjoy press conferences. Most of the time.”

Heading into his big meeting with Agassi tonight, the thought in Chang’s mind might be: “OK, guys, let’s do another one.”

The Australian contingent, which claimed responsibility for most of the major upsets during the first week, began to return to earth Monday. Eliminated in the fourth round were John Frawley and Mark Woodforde. No. 2 Mats Wilander never let Woodforde get comfortable as he won, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2. Emilio Sanchez of Spain, making his best showing here on the hardcourts, had little trouble with Frawley, winning, 6-2, 6-3, 6-4.

Jason Stoltenberg, 18, who is considered to be one of the next Australian prospects, lost a close third-round match to Haiti’s Ronald Agenor, 6-3, 2-6, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3. However, Australian Darren Cahill reached the quarterfinals with a 6-4, 6-4, 6-3 victory over Canada’s Martin Laurendeau. Unseeded Derrick Rostagno of Brentwood produced one of the bigger surprises of the day with his decisive victory over No. 9 Tim Mayotte, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2.

“Derrick played almost perfect tennis, and I couldn’t get any steam going,” Mayotte said. “He was playing very well. It was kind of a blur.”

So was the way Elna Reinach started off against No. 2 Martina Navratilova as she took the first four games. Navratilova, however, made the necessary adjustment to the wind-swept day and won 12 of the next 13 games, beating Reinach, 6-4, 6-1, in a fourth-round match.

Also advancing in the women’s round of 16 were No. 1 Steffi Graf, No. 3 Chris Evert, No. 5 Gabriela Sabatini, No. 6 Manuela Maleeva, No. 11 Zina Garrison, No. 14 Katerina Maleeva and No. 16 Larisa Savchenko. Sabatini struggled with unseeded Stephanie Rehe before winning, 7-5, 6-4. As for Garrison, she suffered a few nervous moments against Spain’s Arantxa Sanchez but prevailed, 4-6, 7-5, 6-2.