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Chang
yearns to be back at the top MELBOURNE, Australia (Reuters) - Former French Open champion Michael Chang said Monday he felt he still deserved to be among the top five players in men's tennis despite an injury-induced slide down the rankings. Idolized throughout Asia, Chang has never managed to duplicate his stunning achievement in 1989 when, at 17 years and three months, he beat Stefan Edberg to become the youngest French Open and Grand Slam winner. Monday, Chang's performance was more modest as he downed little- known New Zealander Brett Steven 7-6, 6-3, 6-3 in a methodical display on an outside court in the first round of the Australian Open, the season-opening Grand Slam event, at Melbourne Park. New Jersey-born Chang has failed to scale similar heights since 1989 despite winning consistently in lesser tournaments and being the most recognizable Asian face in tennis. His best Grand Slam finishes since 1989 were as runner-up at Roland Garros in 1995 and in Melbourne in 1995. "In my heart and in my mind, I feel like that is a place where I belong, even though that is not a place I am at right now," Chang said when asked after his match if he still felt like a top five player. "I have been up there for so many years, and I feel like in many ways it is a place where I belong," the 26-year-old Chang said. Last year was arguably Chang's worst on the men's tennis circuit, when a combination of knee and wrist injuries saw him fail to progress past the third round of a Grand Slam and his ranking slide to its current 27. On doctor's advice, he took three weeks off at the end of the year, his longest stretch away from the game since 1989 when he fractured his hip. "I was forced to go fishing, I was forced to relax and it was good, because I needed that," Chang told reporters. Just how far Chang has progressed in his fight back to the top will likely be tested in the second round of the Australian Open, where he is slated to meet big-serving Australian Mark Philippoussis. "Win or lose, those are the kind of matches that bring out the special kind of atmosphere and something that I really enjoy about the sport of tennis," Chang said. REUTERS@ Copyright 1999 Reuters Ltd. All rights reserved. The above news report may not be republished or redistributed, in whole or in part, without the prior written consent of Reuters Ltd. Author not available,
Tennis-Chang yearns to be back at the top. , Reuters,
01-17-1999.
Copyright ©
1999 Infonautics Corporation. All rights reserved.
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