Lendl Topples Chang : Tennis: He opens bid for fifth Masters title by avenging loss in French Open.

Ivan Lendl, in search of his fifth Masters title and confirmation of his No. 1 ranking, got revenge Tuesday by defeating Michael Chang 6-1, 6-3 in the year’s tennis finale at Madison Square Garden.

It was their first meeting since the French Open, when Chang, hobbled by cramps, surprised the world’s top-ranked player in the fourth round and went on to capture his first Grand Slam title, becoming the first American to win on the clay in Paris in 34 years.

But Lendl, more at home on the faster carpet surface, made sure he wouldn’t lose this time.

Earlier, third-seeded Stefan Edberg swiftly and silently crushed flamboyant Andre Agassi 6-4, 6-2.

Lendl took aim with his big serve, then powered forehands and backhands that repeatedly caught Chang on the wrong side of the court. It was an awesome display of firepower tempered with the discipline that allowed Lendl to constantly change speeds and, when need be, sneak into the net for winning volleys.

In making his first step toward a 10th consecutive trip to the Masters final, Lendl gave Chang a lesson in tennis strategy. He even came back from 0-40 to break Chang in the seventh game and close out the opening set.

But Chang was a quick study. Several times he stepped inside the baseline and crushed Lendl’s second serve, and he began the second set by breaking Lendl at love, the third point coming on a winning return of a second serve.

When Chang rifled a backhand down the line to the corner, forcing Lendl to sail a forehand long, Lendl said, “Nice shot.” It was one of the rare times Lendl needed to acknowledge his foe.