Thursday, May. 21, 2009
Chang/Lendl — 1989
It was a classic David versus Goliath match. Michael Chang, a spry, undersized 17-year-old took on the formidable Ivan Lendl, the Czech (later American) who glowered at opponents with the stony contempt of a Wild West gun-fighter. (Lendl kept saw-dust in his pockets to dry off his grip). In the fifth set, suffering severe cramps, Chang began lobbing the ball to Lendl, served underhand and even stood close to the service line to receive Lendl's powerful serve. ''I always play guys older than me. They see this little squirt across the net and they get a little nervous," Chang explained of his tactics. Rattled, Lendl produced a host of unforced errors and lost. Chang went on to become the youngest ever French Open champ.