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 Sent crashing Chang falls in second round of Japan Open
Posted: Thursday April 15, 1999 12:20 AM
TOKYO (AP) -- Andre Agassi is out of the Japan Open. So is Michael Chang. The second-seeded Agassi didn't even get to play. He withdrew because of an aching shoulder, which first bothered him in the semifinals of a Hong Kong tournament he eventually won on Monday. Chang, seeded No. 9, was beaten by Jens Knippschild of Germany 6-3, 6-4 in their second-round match Wednesday. Chang, who has slipped to 40th from No. 2 in the rankings after being troubled by knee injuries, made early errors and had trouble getting back into rhythm in the first set. In the second set, Knippschild broke Chang's service twice while controlling play. "I guess Chang is trying to find his game back after his injuries," Knippschild said. "If he gets one or two good matches, I think he would easily get back to the top 20 or even top 10." Chang said his knees were not bothering him any more. "What bothers me is that I haven't been able to execute my shots quite well. For a while, I was moving a little bit slower with the knee injury, but that's in the past," he said. Chang won the French Open in 1989 and was runner-up there in 1995. Top-seeded Richard Krajicek was leading 3-1 in the opening set when his opponent, fellow Dutchman John van Lottum, retired with a strain in his neck. The defending women's champion and top seed, Ai Sugiyama of Japan, beat her first-round opponent, qualifier Wynne Prakusya of Indonesia 6-1, 6-3.
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