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Japanese version

Legg Mason Tennis Classic -- Special Clinic with Michael Chang, Sunday, July 13 1997 (report by YK's dad)

Michael came in with Carl, Carl's wife and his agent, a blonde lady with her baby [most likely Kelly Wolf of Advantage International]. Carl and Michael just warmed up for about half an hour while trying to answer questions from the crowd.

Q: Would you like to win a Grand Slam or be number one in the world?
M: I would like to win a Grand Slam and then be number one. A Grand Slam title shows that you have two good weeks playing tennis, while a number one ranking shows that you are playing consistently well all the time.

Q: Which is your favorite tournament?
Carl: Wimbledon.
(Laughter.)
M: That is not very funny.

Q: What are your strengths and weaknesses in your game?
M: I have weaknesses but I don't want to let others know about them. In this game, your opponents will also try to find your weaknesses and exploit them during a game. And by the time you finish, every player will know what they are. And that's why I never answer that question.

Q: Which is your favorite Psalm?
M: Psalm 23. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lay down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul.

Q: What are your strengths in your game?
M: The difference between winning and losing is just a couple of points. I believe that I can beat anyone. And I believe I can be number one. The thing about me is I am very stubborn. When Carl tells me that I am doing something wrong, I would not accept this. Then he would say, "Let's play a set." And after he beats me, I would accept that he is right. The thing is that once I realize that I am wrong I wouldn't go back.

Our clinic consisted of about 40 of us standing around him and Carl and ask them questions. Only 5 questions were allowed. I asked the last question. I asked him, "How does being a Christian help him as a tennis player?" I was standing about six feet from him. He looked at me for a while and smiles and said that being a Christian sort of separates him from the other players. He finds that he looks at the game to have greater meaning than just a game, but for a larger purpose. He uses the game to reach out to others, including those in other countries. He particularly finds that through the game he could reach out to the children, not just as a tennis player but as a Christian. He said that this is why he spends much of his time with children, because they are young and innocent and need someone to point them to the right way. Afterward as they were walking away, I talked with Carl and said that my daughter, Yuan-Kwan, would like to say hello. He looked at me and said "who?" So I said the girl who met him in Legg Mason last year and who has a website...And he said "Yes, the website. Thanks." Well .. I have more, but its late.

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