It’s Just a Friendly Little Match : Tennis: U.S. and Austrian players put aside their differences in Davis Cup semifinal. Chang plays Muster, then Agassi faces Skoff.

For the Americans, who have momentarily quit feuding and having their feelings hurt, the Davis Cup match that begins today at a converted soccer stadium on the banks of the Danube is a chance to reach the finals for the first time in six years.

For the Austrians, who have temporarily stopped calling each other names, the best-of-five competition is something like a Holy Day of National Recognition, the biggest sports event in years that is not performed on skis.

The fact that these contentious teams, each with its resident free spirit, are meeting in a soccer stadium is also considered a redemption for the Austrians.

A week ago, their proud national soccer team lost in the opening round of the European Championships to some place called the Faroe Islands, a Danish protectorate somewhere in the mists north of Scotland. A few days later, the Austrian coach was fired.

As a result, Austrians, who a few years ago didn’t know a tennis ball from the Viennese steamed dumpling, semmelknodel, have turned to their battling tennis trio of Thomas Muster, Horst Skoff and Alex Antonitsch to restore national pride lost ingloriously on the bleak isles.

Skoff, 22, whose girlfriend was the 1988 Miss World, is the free spirit. A few years ago, Skoff called Muster, 24, something bad. As a result, the two leading lights of Austrian tennis barely spoke. Skoff claimed it was because Muster, a laconic sort, couldn’t manage a complete sentence.

Austrian Davis Cup captain Filip Krajcik, explaining that it is difficult having two tennis stars in a country as small as Austria, said Muster and Skoff had some kind of rapprochement in Spain last February when the Austrians beat a tough Spanish team, 3-2.

The American team of Andre Agassi, Michael Chang and doubles players Jim Pugh and Rick Leach, has also had its share of turmoil, mainly between Agassi and team captain Tom Gorman, who dared to criticize Agassi’s sense of “commitment” after the U.S. team lost to West Germany in the semifinals last year.

But at the draw for the order of matches Thursday in a marble ballroom of the Austrian Imperial Palace, Agassi said the quibble has been ironed out.

“Me and Gore had some differences a while ago, but we have come many steps since then,” he said, looking like an Indian prince at an English public school, with his long, tinted hair, earrings and regulation Davis Cup blue blazer and tie.

Later in the afternoon, as Agassi practiced looping topspin forehands on the new clay court in the 15,000-seat Prater soccer stadium, Gorman actually offered his young star a few words of friendly advice. Agassi smiled back tolerantly .

Even if old wounds have healed, the match will not be a waltz or walk in the Vienna Woods for the Americans, mainly because the playing surface is clay, the Austrians’ favorite. Muster, a muscular, hard-hitting baseline player, has not lost on clay in 22 Davis Cup matches.

“I’m not kidding myself,” Krajcik said, “This team is mediocre on another surface. We have had the luck to play all of our matches this year (against Spain and Italy) on clay.”

Because of the clay factor, veteran tennis commentator Bud Collins rates the Austrians slight favorites.

However, Agassi was quick to mention in the prematch news conference that the Americans are no slouches on clay either. Two years ago, Chang won the French Open on the famous red clay of Roland Garros Stadium. This year, Agassi was runner-up, losing to clay specialist Andres Gomez of Ecuador in the final.

Chang seemed particularly nationalistic about the duel with Austria, comparing the challenge to something worthy of Sylvester Stallone.

“It’s like a Rambo movie, one man on a court against another man and 15,000 people in the crowd,” he said. “It will be very intense.”

According to the draw at the Hofburg Palace, Chang will open today with a singles match against Muster, whom he has never played. This was considered a break for the Austrian team, since Muster will be paired with Antonitsch in Saturday’s doubles match.

If Muster had drawn the second match of the day instead of the first, he faced the possibility of playing late this evening or, even worse, continuing the match Saturday morning before playing doubles.

In the second singles match today, Agassi will play Skoff, a stylish clay court player with a powerful forehand who has always been in the shadow of Muster, the most accomplished Austrian player ever.

Krajcik says Skoff has a chance against Agassi if he can rise to the quality of tennis he played in a grueling Davis Cup victory over Sweden’s Mats Wilander last year. Skoff beat Wilander, 6-7, 7-6, 1-6, 6-4, 9-7, in a five-hour match.

Most people believe that for Austria to win, Muster must win both of his singles matches and Skoff must beat Chang. Leach and Pugh, the Wimbledon doubles champions, are heavy favorites over the Muster-Antonitsch team, although the Americans have not played well recently on clay.

If Chang wins the first match today, the Americans are likely to win the series and advance to the finals Nov. 30-Dec. 2. The young Californian considers himself an underdog but seems to delight in the challenge.

“Because I am an underdog, I think that puts more pressure on Thomas (Muster),” he said.

But Skoff, never one to overestimate the talents of his fellow Austrian, predicted Muster will have a tough time with Chang. “I think it is going to be a long, physical match,” Skoff said. “And Chang is in terrific shape. Of course, so is Thomas. I hope Thomas will win, but I think it will be long.”

The United States was last in the Davis Cup finals in 1984, when it lost to Sweden. It last won in 1983, against France.