Bruguera ‘Tired,’ So Chang Lets Him Rest : French Open: American will play Austria’s Muster for title after defeating two-time defending champion.

Clay court tennis is thought to be a game for the patient, but Friday’s men’s semifinal matches at the French Open taxed the patience of the spectators.

The first match, Thomas Muster against Yevgeny Kafelnikov, lacked interest because of its lopsided, foregone-conclusion nature. Muster won, 6-4, 6-0, 6-4.

The second, Michael Chang against Sergi Bruguera, held no drama in its long, slow rallies, marked by a distinct lack of spectacular play. Chang, who won here in 1989, beat Bruguera, 6-4, 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (7-0).

Sunday’s final, at least, offers an interesting behavioral contrast. Chang is one of the most self-contained players on the tour, and Muster leaves no emotion unexpressed. The Austrian holds a 3-0 edge over Chang and has won 34 consecutive matches on clay.

Bruguera’s hope of winning a third consecutive French Open title was dashed by his own sluggish play. The seventh-seeded player’s interest in the match seemed to wax and wane, just as his devastating topspin forehand appeared and left seemingly by whim.

Chang, seeded sixth, said he couldn’t single out a turning point. The first set was decided on just one service break and the final two went to tiebreakers. Chang won 113 points, Bruguera 106.

Both players lofted high balls and played, at times, a displeasing if not effective style.

“You do whatever it takes to get the job done,” Chang said. “If a situation happens where a person doesn’t like a particular ball, then you go out and do what you can. If Sergi had problems hitting overheads in the box, I’d give him overheads in the box.”

Bruguera had an opportunity to take the third set after breaking Chang in the ninth game. But he played in an inexplicably loose and nonchalant fashion and was himself broken. Bruguera went down, 0-30, when he sent a casual drop shot wide. Chang worked the game to break point, and Bruguera chopped another, thinly disguised drop shot wide, making it 5-5.

The Spaniard appeared listless in the next game. He had a break point but unwisely failed to play a point after he believed Chang had hit a ball long. The linesman thought otherwise, and Chang won the point.

Bruguera said he was tired and “lacked resistance.” Fatigue might explain poor play but it doesn’t fully explain a player’s mentally checking in and out of a match.

“I was tired and when you are tired you don’t think well enough,” Bruguera said. “I haven’t been running and moving well and it was difficult to find a solution to [Chang’s] game.”

Kafelnikov, seeded ninth, had a strangely defeatist attitude during the match, and afterward said he knew he would lose--only not as fast as he did. Asked if he was impressed with Muster’s performance, Kafelnikov said: “No, I knew already it was going to happen in the end, so I expected Thomas was going to beat me. But I thought the match could be a bit longer.”

Kafelnikov tried everything. In the first two sets, he stayed back and hit with Muster, seeded fifth, from the baseline. That might have worked had Kafelnikov played more smoothly. He committed 38 unforced errors in the match.

The Russian abandoned that strategy in the final set and came in behind his serve. This worked a little better but is a difficult style to maintain on clay.

“I was really practicing for Wimbledon already,” Kafelnikov said.

Kafelnikov had break points at 4-3 in the third but did nothing to end points with confidence. Against Muster, Kafelnikov explained, confidence is difficult to manufacture or maintain.

“You’re facing something from the ‘Rocky’ movie,” he said. “When you go into the small little ring to play against him, you feel like a small moth against a big elephant.

“Thomas is something unusual. I can’t really explain what’s happening when you go on the court, when you know that you have to play against him. But something [is] already in the mind, that Thomas is something like a wall--he is unbeatable. And that’s what everyone thinks when they have to play against him.”

Kafelnikov then admitted that he hoped Muster would be beaten in the final.

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French Open Notes

Thomas Muster was fined $5,000 for unsportsmanlike conduct because he mouthed swear words during a quarterfinal match against Alberto Costa. It was the heaviest fine imposed at the tournament. . . . Muster was among 15 players fined a total of $15,950 for transgressions ranging from swearing to ball abuse. . . . Andre Agassi was fined $750 for unsportsmanlike conduct, and Jim Courier had to pay $1,000 for swearing.