It is one of the most iconic moments in tennis history. Michael Chang, a young American playing only his fifth grand slam event, was cramping in the final set of his fourth-round battle in the 1989 French Open against the world No 1, Ivan Lendl, the colossus who had won the title in three of the five previous years. At 4-3, 15-30, Chang stood on the baseline and readied himself to serve.
It was then that the flash of inspiration came. Leaning forward and pausing for a moment, Chang delivered an underarm serve, slicing across the ball and taking Lendl by surprise. Lendl recovered his poise to hit a forehand return and attacked the net but Chang rifled a forehand pass down the line for a winner, helped by the slightest of touches on the net, to add insult to insult. Lendl walked away, tapping his head, while the crowd on Court Philippe Chatrier went wild.
Written by Simon Cambers
This news first appeared on https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/may/23/michael-chang-roland-garros-french-open under the title “Michael Chang: ‘I chat with Ivan when I see him. But never about the French Open’”. Bolchha Nepal is not responsible or affiliated towards the opinion expressed in this news article.
