Chang Has Little Trouble Advancing

It was late night with Michael Chang, from New York City, Thursday night in the U.S. Open. And the Coto de Caza resident made it a success, easing his way into the third round with a 6-1, 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 victory over hard-serving Nicolas Pereira of Venezuela.

Chang, seeded seventh, finished up on the Stadium Court shortly after midnight. He dashed through Pereira in the first two sets, but then allowed the No. 144-ranked player back in the match by losing his serve at 4-5 of the third set.

“I thought a little about all the upsets going on here when that happened,” Chang said. “You have to be ready for every match at a Grand Slam tournament like this. You can’t just kind of play yourself into the second week.”

Pereira, a member of the Venezuelan Davis Cup team, who hasn’t played in the U.S. Open since a first-round loss here in 1989, slipped back in the fourth set to his level of the first two sets. And he gave Chang the only match point he needed when, serving at 3-5 and deuce, he foot faulted on a second serve.

“I’ve had guys foot fault on me before,” Chang said, “but I can’t remember having anybody do it to get me to match point.”

The competition stiffens for Chang, who will meet 40th-ranked Bernd Karbacher of Germany in a third-round match Saturday.

“I feel good,” Chang said. “The first two rounds have been good ones for me.”