Edberg Rolls Back Years With Victory

After a parade of petulance and unbecoming behavior played out on center court comes a match between two consummate professionals clearly and refreshingly eager to play competitive tennis.

Sincerity was restored to the French Open on Saturday with the engaging third-round match between old rivals Stefan Edberg and Michael Chang, neither of whom would consider pulling the antics that have been overwhelming the atmosphere at Roland Garros.

An overflow crowd gathered at center court to honor the retiring Edberg, who was expected to give last year’s finalist a good fight but could not reasonably be given a chance to beat the fourth-seeded Chang.

But Edberg is resisting the retirement he announced at the start of the season. The 45th-ranked player confounded the pundits, postponed the goodbye party and upset Chang, the former French Open champion, 4-6, 7-5, 6-0, 7-6 (7-1), and advanced to the quarterfinals of the only Grand Slam tournament he has never won.

Chang was uncharacteristically inattentive for huge portions of the match but played down the strained muscle to the left side of his ribcage, which required medical attention during the second set. It was an injury he suffered in a previous match, but he insisted it was not a factor on Saturday.

Edberg, 30, has been peeling back the years here, playing with the panache and confidence that brought him so many titles in the ‘80s. He has defied clay court convention and played in his trademark attacking style: serving a high-kicking ball, following it to the net and executing a textbook volley to finish the point.

The rejuvenated Swede said he felt 18 or 19 years old again.

“It was a wonderful feeling being out there today,” he said. “I played some of the best tennis I’ve done for a very, very long time. I feel excited playing here, being the last time. I’m not feeling tired. I’m moving very well. I think I’m serving a lot better than I’ve done for a long time.”

Edberg is playing in his 52nd consecutive Grand Slam tournament. His career has never been about sitting out events on surfaces he dislikes. Whether it’s agreeing to play doubles at a major or showing fidelity to Davis Cup, Edberg has always shown up.

He keeps coming back to Roland Garros despite what it has done to him. The most agonizing memory involves Chang in the 1989 final. Edberg had 10 break points against Chang, who executed one of his famous, tenacious comebacks to become, at 17, the youngest men’s title winner.

The closeness of that match and the bitter taste of that loss has stayed with Edberg, more now than then, he says.

“I don’t know for what reason, it came into my mind, after losing the third set, being up two sets to love,” Edberg said. “This was a good revenge.”

Beyond the French Open, the history between the two players is considerable. Edberg defeated Chang in the semifinals of the 1992 U.S. Open in a five-set match that took 5 hours 26 minutes, believed to be the longest singles match at the tournament.

Their fortunes have gone in opposite directions. Until Saturday, Edberg hadn’t beaten Chang since then, although he leads the series, 12-8.

Edberg was the clear crowd favorite, for sentimental reasons. In keeping with that sentiment, he played like old times.

Edberg’s net coverage forced Chang to pass and aim for the lines, a risky and, ultimately, a low-percentage play. Even though Chang generally loves a target at the net, he missed the mark on Saturday.

“I definitely would have liked to be a little bit sharper on my passing shots, to be honest with you,” said Chang, a finalist at this year’s Australian Open.

He took a 2-0 lead in the first set but was broken back in the third game. Chang broke again in the 10th game to win the set. The second set went Edberg’s way as Chang double-faulted on key points.

Chang received treatment after the fifth game for the muscle strain, then played poorly for a long stretch.

“I think he had a little problem with something, which I did notice,” Edberg said. “He lost the momentum for quite some time. Getting even with him one set all, that made a big, big difference. After that, I sort of saw I had a chance.”

Chang’s walkabout in the third set was rare for him. The set took only 23 minutes and Edberg steamrollered to a nine-game streak. Even with that failing, no one would expect Chang to give up, even though capitulation has been epidemic here this week.

Chang did not stop pressing, nor did Edberg. The inevitable tiebreak came down to Chang serving, with Edberg holding five match points. Chang’s looping backhand flew long then Edberg, and the crowd, celebrated together.

At last, a tennis player who is happy to still be here.