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Defending Champion Chang Is Upended in Beijing Open

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From Staff and Wire Reports

Three-time defending champion Michael Chang lost to Martin Damm of the Czech Republic, 6-3, 6-4, in the second round of the Beijing Open tennis tournament in China on Thursday. Chang was 18-1 in Asia last year and 67-7 there between 1993-95.

It is the first time he has lost this early at an Asian tournament since falling in the second round of a 1993 Tokyo tournament.

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Sweden’s Stefan Edberg defeated top-seeded Thomas Muster of Austria, 6-4, 6-7 (2-7), 7-5, to reach the quarterfinals of the CA Trophy tournament at Vienna. Fifth-seeded Boris Becker beat fellow German Michael Stich, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, and No. 2 Goran Ivanisevic of Croatia defeated Bohdan Ulihrach of the Czech Republic, 6-2, 6-2.

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Olympic champion Lindsay Davenport advanced to the third round of the $450,000 Porsche Grand Prix, defeating Natalia Medvedeva of Ukraine, 6-1, 6-3, at Filderstadt, Germany. Davenport will next play Jana Novotna of the Czech Republic, who defeated Dominique van Roost of Belgium, 6-2, 6-1.

Baseball

Barry Bonds, unhappy that his father was demoted by the San Francisco Giants, has suggested that he wants to be traded. Bonds’ agent, Dennis Gilbert, said his client is angry that his father, Bobby Bonds, the team’s batting coach, was dismissed last week without his son’s knowledge.

“Do you expect him to be happy? Nobody wants your father fired,” Gilbert said. “He’s mad. He’s upset.”

The Giants, however, are waiting to hear from the six-time all-star outfielder after trying to contact him Thursday.

Bobby Bonds, the Giants’ batting coach since 1993, was demoted after the Giants finished 68-94--last in the National League West. He has been offered a role as a roving instructor and part-time scout.

Outfielder Dante Bichette of the Colorado Rockies had major reconstructive surgery on his left knee, but is expected to be ready for the start of the 1997 season.

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Bill Virdon, the winningest manager in Houston Astros history, will rejoin the team next year as bench coach under rookie Manager Larry Dierker.

Jurisprudence

A court hearing for Lawrence Phillips on allegations that he violated his probation by driving drunk in California was put on hold after his attorney, Hal Anderson, asked a court in Lincoln, Neb., for postponement pending resolution of the California case.

Phillips, a former running back at Nebraska who plays for the St. Louis Rams, was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving June 13 in Los Angeles County.

Miscellany

Alex Zuelle of Switzerland overcame wet conditions and finished ahead of Chris Boardman of Britain to win the individual time trial at the World Cycling Championships at Lugano, Switzerland.

Jamaican Merlene Ottey, the second-fastest woman sprinter in history, is giving up track for modeling. Ottey, 36, was one of the most decorated female Olympic sprinters in history, even though she failed to win a gold medal.

In five Olympics, she collected two silver medals and five bronze.

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