TENNIS ROUNDUP : Chang Upsets Agassi; Sampras Stops McEnroe

Michael Chang, winless in four previous matches against Andre Agassi, defeated the top-seeded Agassi, 4-6, 7-5, 7-5, in a quarterfinal match of the $1.5-million Players International tournament Friday in Toronto.

In another quarterfinal, third-seeded John McEnroe was upset by Pete Sampras, 7-6 (7-4), 4-6, 6-3. Sampras will meet Chang in a semifinal.

The other semifinal will match Jakob Hlasek of Switzerland against fourth-seeded Jay Berger, who defeated Tim Mayotte, 7-6 (7-2), 6-4. Hlasek defeated Todd Witsken, 6-4, 6-2.

Chang’s match lasted 2 hours 10 minutes, during which he continued to run down shots despite leg cramps.

“You never know, a guy can make a simple error and that’s my game,” Chang said.

In beating Agassi, 18-year-old Chang ended a string of 24 matches in which Agassi had won after taking the first set.

Agassi, 20, had some problems of his own. A stiff lower back caused him to be tentative on his forehand for fear of pulling a muscle.

Still, he overpowered Chang to win the first set.

“I felt in such control, then I got careless with some unforced errors at the end of the second and beginning of the third sets,” said Agassi, winner of 11 singles titles. “But still I didn’t think I’d have a tough time with him in the third.

“He had leg cramps and I felt like he was getting tired. I let up a bit and maybe that was my downfall,” he said.

Chang got a service break in the second game of the third set, then held serve for a 3-0 lead. But Agassi broke Chang in the seventh game and held serve to set, at 4-4.

Agassi had a break point in the next game, but his forehand deflected off the top of the net and flew out of bounds. Chang won the next two points to hold serve.

Then, with Agassi serving at 6-5, Chang won the first two points, the second after groaning in pain from a cramp during play. Agassi took the third point, but Chang came back with a hard shot to the corner for two break points.

The match ended on the first when Agassi volleyed wide.

“I was lucky because the cramps never stuck,” Chang said. “I just had one that stuck and it felt like my foot just curled up.”

Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, extended to an 11-9 tiebreaker in the first set, rallied to defeat Nathalie Tauziat, 7-6, 6-1, and lead Spain to a berth in the Federation Cup semifinals, in Norcross, Ga.

Spain’s other teen-ager, Conchita Martinez, beat Julie Halard, 6-0, 6-3, and then the pair defeated Isabelle Demongeot and Mary Pierce, 6-4, 6-4, for a 3-0 sweep of France.

The Soviet Union edged the Netherlands, 2-1, by winning the doubles, 7-6 (9-7), 6-3.