Chang, Courier Upset in Georgia

Top-seeded and defending champion Michael Chang fell to the slashing left-handed style of Brazilian Fernando Meligeni in the first round of the $328,000 AT&T; Challenge on Tuesday night at Duluth, Ga.

The crowd-pleasing Meligeni, retrieving like mad and nailing big forehand winners, upended Chang in a two-hour thriller, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4.

In an afternoon upset, qualifier Steve Campbell, ranked 236th, ousted fourth-seeded Jim Courier, 2-6, 6-4, 6-3.

Chang, winner on clay last week in Orlando, Fla., and ranked second in the world, was unable to make a lasting impact on Meligeni, ranked 72nd.

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Top-seeded Yevgeny Kafelnikov of Russia won a singles match for the first time this year, defeating Lionel Roux of France, 7-6 (7-4), 6-1, in the opening round of the Czech Open in Prague. . . . UCLA has been seeded first in the NCAA men’s championships, being played May 17-25 in Westwood. The Bruin women have been seeded fourth in the women’s tournament at Stanford, May 19-23.

Golf

Fuzzy Zoeller disputed accounts of his exchange with a black golfer Monday about fried chicken and watermelon, but the four reporters on the scene defended the accuracy of their stories.

Zoeller said businessman Vic McBryde, a friend, had yelled, “Hey Fuzzy, we’re having lunch later--fried chicken, collard greens and cornbread. You want to join us?”

“I yelled back, ‘Don’t forget the watermelon.’ That’s all I said,” Zoeller said Tuesday.

Basketball

Philip Von Backstrom, a 7-foot-2 center who played last season at Southern Nebraska Community College, signed a letter of intent to play at USC. Backstrom, whose 7-2 twin brother George committed to Oregon State, is from South Africa.

USC also signed 6-7 1/2 Adam Spanich of Marshalltown Community College in Iowa.

Chris Gobrecht, former Washington women’s basketball coach, is a leading candidate for the vacant USC job. Gobrecht, a former USC player, had a 243-89 record at Washington in 11 seasons before leaving for Florida State a year ago. Nine of her 11 Washington teams reached the NCAA tournament.

Providence point guard God Shammgod made himself eligible for the NBA draft, as did Stephen Jackson, a former high school All-American who was academically ineligible at Arizona last season.

Soccer

Cobi Jones will sit out the Galaxy’s games Friday at Washington and Sunday at New York-New Jersey because of a hamstring pull, and midfielder Mauricio Cienfuegos will miss them because he will play for El Salvador in a World Cup qualifier against Costa Rica.

Hockey

St. Louis center Craig MacTavish, the last player to go without a helmet, announced his retirement at 38. . . . Sean Goldsworthy, the son of the late NHL all-star Bill Goldsworthy, was hired as coach at Minnesota’s St. Olaf College.

Jurisprudence

Richard Perry, a convicted sports fixer whose relationship with Nevada Las Vegas basketball players led to Jerry Tarkanian’s eventual resignation as coach, has pleaded guilty to tax evasion for 1989 through ’91. Perry, who was photographed in a hot tub with Rebel players, will serve 15 months in prison, according to federal officials.

Buffalo Bill wide receiver Eric Moulds pleaded guilty to harassing a former girlfriend and a college student he met in a bar, and could face up to 30 days in jail.

Names in the News

Nancy Darsch, fired last month as coach of Ohio State’s women’s basketball team, was hired as coach of the New York Liberty of the fledgling WNBA. . . . Chinese women swimmers Yu Ran, Pu Shi and Chen Jialin, and male swimmer Lu Qiang, have been banned from competition for two years after failing drug tests in January, 1996.