Chang Upset but Refuses to Blame Injury

Richey Reneberg upset Michael Chang, 6-4, 7-6, 7-6 (7-3), in the quarterfinals of the Japan Open at Tokyo, but there was some question Friday whether Chang, the world’s fourth-ranked tennis player, was hurt. Reneberg said Chang’s right shoulder was bothering him in the second set.

Chang said his shoulder wasn’t hurt, and that a wrapped right leg was only a “slight problem.” He served five of his nine aces in the second set, and hit some impressive passing shots. But he headed later for ultrasound tests on his shoulder muscles.

No. 1 Pete Sampras defeated old nemesis Guy Forget of France, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, and will meet Mark Woodforde of Australia, a 6-4, 7-5 winner over Thomas Enqvist of Sweden in today’s semifinals.

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Jim Courier had a tough battle before finally beating fellow American Todd Martin in the quarterfinals of the Barcelona Open, 6-3, 7-6 (7-4). Top-seeded Thomas Muster overwhelmed Francis Roig of Spain, 6-1, 6-1.

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The Cinderella story of Bill Behrens was ended by top-seeded MaliVai Washington in the quarterfinals of the Bermuda Open in Hamilton, Bermuda. Washington, who lost two matches for the U.S. Davis Cup team, defeated Behrens, 6-3, 6-4.

Behrens was the field’s lowest ranked player, 707th on the worldwide rankings, and Washington was the highest at 19th. Behrens, who had never won a singles match on the ATP Tour before this tournament, stunned eighth-seeded Scott Draper, 6-4, 5-7, 7-6 (7-3), then beat Jan Apell, 6-2, 5-7, 7-6 (7-4) in advancing to the quarterfinals.

Golf

Tom Watson shot a second consecutive 67 and shared the lead with Jeff Sluman at 134, eight under par, midway through the MCI Heritage Classic at Hilton Head Island, S.C. Watson has not won on the PGA Tour in nine years. Sluman also had a second consecutive 67.

A stroke behind were Colin Montgomerie, Jeff Maggert, Larry Nelson and Loren Roberts. Masters winner Nick Faldo and Greg Norman were four shots back.

Buddy Allin shot a 67 early and watched as his five-under 139 held up midway through the PGA Seniors’ Championship. Hale Irwin, whose 66 was good for the first-round lead, stumbled to a 74 and was a stroke behind at 140, along with Isao Aoki.

Defending champion Raymond Floyd was at 148, nine strokes behind Allin. Jack Nicklaus was at 149 along with Jim Colbert. Lee Trevino was at 151. Arnold Palmer missed the cut at 154.

Karen Weiss shot a career-best 66, six under par, for a two-shot lead in the Chick-fil-A Charity LPGA tournament in Stockbridge, Ga.

Football

The Dallas Cowboys acquired fourth-year safety Roger Harper from the Atlanta Falcons for two draft picks. The Falcons will get fourth- and fifth-round picks from the Cowboys in today’s draft. Harper lost his starting job last year to rookie Devin Bush and became expendable when the Falcons acquired safety Patrick Bates from the Oakland Raiders for a second-round pick in the draft.

The Houston Oilers waived running back Gary Brown, who within two seasons rose from backup to star before sliding down the depth chart. By cutting Brown and the final year of his $5.25-million contract, Houston freed money to help sign draft picks.

Offensive tackle Bruce Wilkerson, waived Tuesday by Jacksonville, signed a free-agent contract with the Green Bay Packers. The 6-foot-5, 305-pound veteran of nine NFL seasons, played eight seasons for the Los Angeles Raiders.

Miscellany

Bowing to activists still incensed over a 3-year-old anti-gay resolution, Olympic organizers said that the torch relay will bypass suburban Cobb County on its way to the Summer Games in Atlanta.

The decision was made because the Cobb County Commission has declined to change the resolution, said Dick Yarbrough, a spokesman for the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games.

Gay-rights activists had threatened demonstrations if the county were included in the torch relay, which begins April 27 in Los Angeles and ends in Atlanta July 19.

Ricky Craven turned a lap at 93.079 mph and earned his first pole for Sunday’s Winston Cup stock car at Martinsville, Va. Kyle Petty ran 93.010 mph over Martinsville Speedway’s .526-mile oval.

Anaclet Wamba of France lost his World Boxing Council cruiserweight title when he was three pounds over the limit at the weigh-in for his title defense in Paris against Marcelo Dominguez of Argentina. Wamba and Dominguez were to have fought today in Levallois, a suburb of Paris. . . . German heavyweight Axel Schulz will fight American Michael Moorer for the vacant International Boxing Federation title in Berlin in June, according to promoter Cedric Kushner.

USC’s 1996 football team will play its annual spring game today at Howard Jones Field. Game time is 11 a.m. Admission, which includes a postgame barbecue, is $20.

Three U.S. Olympians, Lynn Jennings, PattiSue Plumer and Vicki Huber, are in the women’s 5,000-meter field at the Mt. San Antonio College distance carnival tonight in Walnut. Starting at 7, athletes from eight countries will compete in races from the 3,000-meter steeplechase to the 10,000 meters.

Reyne Borup, who qualified fourth earlier in the day, rallied to win the women’s 1-meter springboard title in the National Diving Championships at Oxford, Ohio.

It was the first national title for Borup, 28, whose only previous major victory came last summer on the 1-meter board in the U.S. Olympic Festival.

The Fort Lauderdale Diving Team swept the three medals. Borup, with 267.66 points, was followed by teammates Janae Earley and Jenny Keim.