Chang reaches tennis final

Press, 25 September 1989, Page 44

Chang reaches tennis final

NZPA-Reuter Los Angeles The top seed, Michael Chang, displaying new confidence in his serve, beat fellow-American Scott Davis, 6-4, 6 : 4, at the week-end to advance to • the final of the, $425,000 Los Angeles Grand Prix tennis tournament.., Chang, No. 6 in the world rankings, was broken just ? once, in the match as he continued his string of straight-set victories in the tournament. “I think I served excep- , tionally well,” Chang said.’Tve been feeling / great about my serve and;

it’s been going jn, so no reason to hold back.” Davis, ranked No. 57, played too erratically to beat the 17-year-old; Chang, although his crisp ’ volleys kept him close. Chang won the only service break of the first set When he broke Davis for 4-3 with a backhand pass, one of many winners the California teenager put past his aggressive rival. In the second set; Chang broke for 1-0 and; ; held on to the edge until serving for the match in the eighth game. Chang, however, netted a fore-

hand to drop serve for 53. Davis held for 5-4 and came close to breaking Chang again, but the top seed clinched the match when Davis netted a backhand volley. - ' Davis felt he had his chances but failed to capitalise. “I felt like I was in there for a lot of points but I didn’t quite execute,” Davis said. “I was maybe pressing and think- . 7 ing too much out there.” ; . Meanwhile, Aaron Krickstein came back from the brink of defeat seven times to upset the second seed, Brad Gilbert,

in their semi-final. Krickstein, already one set down, survived seven match points in the second before rallying for a 1-6, 7-6 (7-0), 6-2 win over his fellow American. “I never felt out of it, as weird as that may sound,” Krickstein said. “But it's kind of amazing I’m in the final.” In a doubles semi-final the top seeds, John Fitzgerald (Australia)/Anders 1 Jarryd (Sweden) beat Pieter Aldrich/Dannie Visser (South Africa), 3-6, 6-3, 7-5.