Chang Comeback Sends U.S. to Finals : Davis Cup: Placentia teen overcomes cold, cramps and darkness to beat Austria.

Michael Chang completed a dramatic comeback from two sets down to beat Horst Skoff and give the United States a 3-2 victory over Austria in their Davis Cup semifinal today.

Chang, who was trailing two sets to one when darkness halted play Sunday, overcame Skoff today 3-6, 6-7 (4-7), 6-4, 6-4, 6-3.

The victory propelled the United States into the Davis Cup final against Australia beginning Nov. 30 in Florida. It is the first time the United States has reached the final since 1984, when it lost to Sweden, 4-1.

Chang became the first American in 53 years to win the fifth match of a Davis Cup series after being down by two sets. Don Budge last accomplished that feat in 1937.

“Chang went into the match like a changed person. He knew he could beat Skoff and he also knew how to do it,” said Tom Gorman, the non-playing U.S. team captain.

The 18-year-old from Placentia fought off leg cramps in the final few games, but ignored the pain and the cold to finish the match.

“Even when I was up 5-3 I felt the cramps,” Chang said. “If I had lost that game I don’t know what would have happened.

“It would have been difficult to continue, because of the intensity and the crowd and because it was very cold. So that makes you tighten up a lot.”

But Chang is known for his calmness in five-set matches, of which he now has won seven straight. Skoff suffers greater mood changes in a match.

“The public put me off on Sunday, but this time round I went in and just managed to turn them off,” Chang said. “I think I played some of my best tennis today.”

Said Austrian Captain Filip Krajcik: “I think Horst felt the pressure more than yesterday. He said the balls were heavier and the court slower, but I think he maybe felt that because he was a little bit more nervous.”

Neither player was sharp on a cold day on which play started 90 minutes late because of rain. But Skoff never warmed up, spraying shots all over the court and having little control of his own serve.

Skoff held serve only three of 10 times today. Though Chang lost his serve four of nine times, he held in the final game of the fourth set and finished the set with a service winner on his third set point.

Chang appeared to injure a leg late in the match, but he had built up a comfortable lead by then and completed his comeback by slamming a service return past Skoff.

Skoff was leading by a set Sunday when play was halted because of darkness. Skoff, yelling as he hit nearly all of his shots, volleyed well and outlasted Chang on several long base line rallies to win the first two sets.

Skoff won the first four games of the match, then survived a service break while wrapping up the first set. He won the last three points of the tie breaker to take the second set.

Chang broke Skoff’s serve in the third game of the third set, ending the game with a forehand winner.

“This loss is the most painful one of my career, but I still like to think I played one of my best matches,” Skoff said.

The United States has a record 28 Davis Cup titles while Australia is second with 26. The United States has not won the Cup since 1982, when it beat France, 4-1.