Tennis: Chang eyes return to big-time

By TERRY MADDAFORD

The underdogs have had their day at the Auckland international tennis open but they bowed out with a decent yelp.

Second seed and now Heineken Open favourite Magnus Norman needed an hour and a half to beat unseeded Gaston Gaudio 6-4 7-5 in the first of yesterday's semifinals while Michael Chang was again taken to three sets before beating qualifier Juan Balcells 6-3 3-6 6-2.

The flamboyant Balcells is unlucky on two counts. He has missed not only the chance of playing his first ATP final after seven matches in seven days, but his long run at Stanley St cost him the chance of qualifying for next week's Australian Open.

For Chang, today's final is the chance to resurrect his multi-million dollar career. His last final was when he won the 1998 Shanghai Open. He returned to China last year and was beaten in the semifinals by Norman - the only time they have met.

Norman and Gaudio were first on court. Gaudio dropped his first serve, so did Norman. Gaudio continued the trend in the third game. The set was effectively gone as games then went serve.

It was a genuine baseline slugfest although there were times when Norman's timing appeared astray.

Gaudio, who managed only one ace to Norman's four, dropped his first service game in the second set but broke back in the fourth before falling behind again in the next.

Norman, pinpoint accurate with his powerful two-handed backhand ground stokes, eventually served it out at 7-5.

"I thought the match would be like this," said Norman, who lost a semifinal last week - to fellow Swede Thomas Enqvist - in Adelaide. "Gaudio is a real grinder. It is the toughest match I have played this week. He should be in the top 30 by the end of the year."

Chang had a classic battle with Balcells, who delighted in mixing it up. He switched from his stand and deliver game to charging the net with apparent ease.

As Chang struggled in the early stages, Balcells happily returned his serves with interest.

With steady-as-she-goes Chang facing the acrobatic Balcells, who threw himself at everything and pulled off some amazing returns, the crowd were treated to 1h 45m of some super tennis.

Balcells had a first-serve percentage of 80. Chang's was just 62.

"Juan was playing some tough tennis out there," said Chang. "He pulled off some unbelievable shots. I'm not used to seeing the ball coming back at me like that. He is not very Spanish-like in the way he plays."

Balcells acknowledged Chang as one of the world's great players but still thought he had a "great chance" going into the match.

"He is like a legend," said Balcells.

Of Chang's comment in comparing him with former great Yannick Noah, Balcells said: "It is good to be compared with a player like that. I would like to be able to play like him."

In an entertaining doubles semifinal, second seeds Oliver Delaitre and Jeff Tarango beat unseeded Czechs Petr Pala and Pavel Vizner 6-3, 6-4. The FrenchAmerican combination will meet top seeds Ellis Ferreira and Rick Leach in today's final with Leach chasing an early chance to continue an amazing 14-year run in which he has won at least one doubles title every year.