Doctor Says Chang Rushed His Comeback a Bit : Tennis: The 18-year-old probably will not play next week in Florida. He may return for April 9 tournament in Tokyo.

The doctor who has taken over primary treatment of Michael Chang said the 18-year-old tried to come back too soon from a hip injury when he played a match last week in Memphis, Tenn.

“He had gone into Memphis a bit premature, but that was a decision between the player and his father,” said Dr. Lester Lee of Huntington Beach, a specialist in sports medicine and strength conditioning who has been working with Chang since November.

In Chang’s first match since separating a bone in his hip in December, he lost to Glenn Layendecker at the Volvo Tennis/Indoor tournament.

Chang withdrew Monday from the $1-million Newsweek Champions Cup here because of what he described as “problems” while practicing over the weekend.

Lee said he advised Chang Saturday night to pull out to avoid possible further injury.

Chang said he knew something was amiss after working out Saturday and Sunday with his brother, Carl. “My right hip was compensating for my left hip too much, and it created a problem,” said Chang, who refused to be more specific for fear his explanation would be blown out of proportion.

Joe Chang said his son became alarmed when he began to have muscle spasms in his right leg.

Lee said such a symptom is consistent with what he termed “disequilibrium,” which might also manifest itself in hamstring pulls, muscle strains or tendinitis. “There’s nothing wrong with his left hip, that’s healed,” Lee said.

Lee developed a rigorous training program for Chang to strengthen muscles in his lower body. He said Chang probably will not play next week in the Lipton International Players Championship at Key Biscayne, Fla., but may return by April 9 for the Suntory Japan Open. Chang is designated to play the event in Tokyo.

Like Stefan Edberg of Sweden, Chang received an appearance fee to play at Memphis, which as a World Series or lesser tour event, must pay such fees if it hopes to attract top players. World Series events have no top-10 players designated to play in them.

Three top-10 players are designated to play in the Tokyo tournament, rather than six, because there are two Championship Series events scheduled the same week.

Chang expects to defend his French Open title at Stade Roland Garros in Paris May 28-June 10.

Lee said two trainers under his direction, Marteaan Alborn and Erich Moreno, will work six days a week with Chang, possibly twice a day. Ken Matsuda, who works with American Olympic class runners, will evaluate Chang’s progress, according to Lee. “I’ve advised him we need time for the next eight months,” Lee said.

Chang admitted that he was somewhat confused about having to withdraw from the Champions Cup. His plan had been to play himself back into shape, but now he thinks he must first strengthen the muscles around his hip.

“I don’t know how long it’s going to take for me to get it real strong,” Chang said. “My body is telling me to back down a little bit. It’s kind of frustrating . . . (because) it kind of sets me back again.”

Chang had been under the primary care of orthopedic specialist Dr. Robert Kerlan, but decided to make a switch. Kerlan was outspoken when he learned that Chang had pain before playing the match in Memphis and suggested Chang should not be on the court.

However, Joe Chang said Lee’s role became more important because Chang’s home in Placentia is closer to Lee’s office than it is to the Kerlan-Jobe Clinic in Inglewood. Lee said he believes that Chang should recover fully if he follows the training program.