Players involved: Stefan Edberg and Michael Chang
- Stefan Edberg, multiple Grand Slam champion from Sweden
Stefan Edberg was born in 1966. The Swede was extremely successful on the junior circuit (he won the junior calendar-year Grand Slam in 1983), but nearly quit tennis that same year when, at age 17, one of his serves accidentally killed a line judge in New York.
He continued to play as late as December 1985, a few months after a young Boris Becker broke through, winning WimbledonEdberg won his first Grand Slam title, also on grass at the Australian Open, defeating compatriot Mats Wilander (6-4, 6-3, 6-3) in the final. The tournament was not played in 1986 due to a date change, and Edberg successfully defended his title in January 1987, defeating Austrian favorite Pat Cash (6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 5-7, 6-3).
In 1988, he added to his Wimbledon crown, defeating Becker (4-6, 7-6, 6-4, 6-2) in the final, which started one of the most famous rivalries in tennis history.
In 1989, Edberg lost confidence after losing two consecutive major finals; first at Roland Garroslost to Michael Chang (6-1, 3-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2) in a heartbreaker where he gave up 10 break points in the fourth set, and in the second at Wimbledon, where Becker got brutal revenge from last year’s final (6-0, 7-6, 6-4).
1990 Australian Open In the final, he had to retire in the second set of his clash with Lendl due to an abdominal injury. After another disappointment at the French Open, where he lost in the first round, Edberg regained the Wimbledon crown by defeating Becker in five sets in their third consecutive final at the All England Club (6-2, 6-2, 3-6, 3-6, 6-4), and a few weeks later he became world No. 1 for the first time.
In 1991, battling for the top spot with Becker, he won the US Open for the first time, producing a masterpiece in the final to destroy Jim Currier 6-2, 6-4, 6-0. The American got his revenge at the Australian Open to become Edberg’s new challenger for world number one. At the start of the 1992 US Open Championship, the Swede was ranked 2nd in the world.
- Michael Chang, record holder from America
Michael Chang was born in 1972. In 1987, at the age of 15, he became the youngest player ever to win the US Open (beating Paul McNamee). The following year, in June, aged just 16 years and three months, he became the youngest player to enter the men’s top 100, and he reached the fourth round of a Grand Slam for the first time in New York, where he was defeated by Andre Agassi.
In 1989, he reached the quarterfinals at Indian Wells and the semifinals at Forest Hills (on American soil), where he lost to Jaime Yzaga (6-4, 6-3), which helped him climb as high as 19th at Roland Garros. He then won the title in Paris to everyone’s surprise.
Chang shot to fame in the fourth round when he upset world No. 1 Lendl after coming back from two sets down before overcoming cramps in the fifth set. In this final set, he played on Lendl’s nerves, hitting an unforgettable underarm serve and pushing him into a double fault while waiting for his second serve just behind the service line. He defeated Edberg in the final, defending 10 break points in the fourth set (6-1, 3-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2).
The two years following her surprise Grand Slam victory were difficult for Chang, who failed to establish herself in the top 10. In 1992, he became a stronger and more aggressive player, and he returned to the top 10 after winning three titles in San Francisco in February and March (defeating world No. 2 Courier of India, Well6-3 in the final). Although he failed to achieve any notable Grand Slam results, he was ranked No. 4 in the world in the US Open draw.
Location: Flushing Meadows, New York
The US Open (known as the US Nationals until 1968 and the start of the Open Era) was founded in 1881 and, although it is the only Grand Slam tournament to have been played every year without interruption since its inception, it has moved several times in the 20th century. First held in August 1881 on the grass courts of the Newport Casino in Rhode Island, the tournament moved to New York in 1915, where it was held at the West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills until 1977 (except for 1921-1923, when the event was moved to Philadelphia).
In 1975-1977, the event was played on clay. In 1978, the US Open left the West Side Tennis Club, now too small for such an important event, and moved to the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York. At the same time, it was decided to change the surface to hard courts. The tennis center was one of the largest tennis complexes in the world. its main court was the Louis Armstrong Stadium, which held 14,000 spectators.
Facts: Edberg wins the final set 3-0
The 1992 US Open semifinal between Edberg, the world No. 2 and defending champion, and Michael Chang, the world No. 4, was billed as a battle of contrasting styles between the Swede’s service-volley game and the American’s defensive skills.
Early on, Edberg seemed to struggle with his serve, causing him to engage in more baseline rallies than usual. Chang took the first set 7-6. The Swede made a much better impression in the second set and soon took a 4-0 lead. Struggling with her serve again, she saw her opponent break back but eventually managed to seal the second set 7-5. A similar scenario played out in the third set as the defending champion took a 5-2 lead before breaking back to win the set 7-6.
If Edberg thought he was going to take the fourth set, he was disappointed. Chang continued to fight for every point, and with the players tied at 5-5, it looked like Edberg was now paying the price for his previous two five-set matches against Krajicek and Lendl.
Taking advantage of the competitor’s fatigue, in 1989 The Roland-Garros champion won five games in a row to take a 3-0 lead in the decider, and soon he even had two break points, almost a match point. Edberg saved them and clawed his way back for another round but was broken again for 3-2. Chang was also unable to hold serve and eventually a break of serve in the 23rd, which gave Edberg a 5-4 lead, was the last. Saving the last break point, the Swede pushed himself out of the championship match.
Playing for five hours and 26 minutes, Edberg and Chang just played the longest match in US Open history. The Swede approached the net no less than 254 times.
“I had chances, he had chances, it was just incredible, but now there is only one match,” Edberg said. “It was kind of a tough match again, mentally. He got me down 3-0, 15-40, and then the momentum changed.”
What next? Edberg and Chang reach more Grand Slam finals
The following day, Edberg would defeat Pete Sampras in the final to win his second consecutive US Open crown, his last major title. This success would make him world number 1 again, albeit only for three weeks. In total, the Swede will spend 72 weeks in the ATP rankings. He reached his last Grand Slam final in Australia in 1993, then slowly declined until his retirement in late 1996.
Chang’s peak years would be 1995 to 1997. During these three years, he would not only reach three Grand Slam semifinals, but also finish runner-up in three major tournaments; Roland Garros in 1995 (lost to Thomas Muster 7-5, 6-2, 6-4), the 1996 Australian Open (lost to Boris Becker 6-2, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4) and the 1996 US Open (lost to Sampras 6-1 6-4). In September 1996, he reached world No. 2, his highest ranking ever. Leaving the top 10 in early 1998, he then slowly declined and would retire in 2003.
