Tennis: Memphis blues for Chang

(First Edition)

JIM COURIER prospered but three other high-ranking seeds were beaten in Memphis yesterday as the St Jude International indoor tournament threw up a rash of shock results.

Courier, the defending champion and top seed, defeated the local favourite, Dave Randall, with some ease, 6-3 6-3, but the next four seeds all struggled, three of them in vain.

Todd Martin, the Australian Open runner-up, joined his compatriot in the quarter-finals, but the second seed required six match points to overcome Switzerland's Jakob Hlasek, 7-5, 7-5.

Michael Chang, MaliVai Washington and Andrei Chesnokov proved less resilient. Karsten Braasch, of Germany, seeded 13th, defeated an ailing Chang, 6-4 6-3. Sweden's Thomas Enqvist, the 14th seed, beat Washington, 6-7, 7-6, 6-1, while the 11th seed, Patrick McEnroe, brushed past the No 5 seed, Chesnokov, 6-3, 6-3.

Chang, a winner in Jakarta and again in San Jose last week when he beat Braasch, had more of an excuse than the rest. The usually speedy American was hampered by leg and shoulder problems and had contemplated pulling out.

Bernd Karbacher, ranked 58th in the world, will represent Germany alongside Michael Stich in the World Cup team event in Dusseldorf from 16 to 22 May. Boris Becker and Marc Goellner are unavailable.