Sunday, July 28, 1996
LATC marks the start, end of great career for 30-year-old SwedeBy Christopher Isidro
Summer Bruin Senior Staff
Stefan Edberg may be making his final visit to Los Angeles this week, but don't expect him to make his entrance at the Los Angeles Tennis Center with a walking stick.
The 30-year-old Swede, in the midst of his farewell tour, highlights a strong field at the Infiniti Open beginning today at UCLA.
Third-ranked Michael Chang, Wimbledon-champion Richard Krajicek and defending-titlist Michael Stich also top this week's draw.
But the focus will be on Edberg, considered by many as one of the great ambassadors of the sport. His decision to retire at the end of this year came after he dropped out of the top 10 and failed to reach the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam last year for the first time since 1983.
"The way things have been going the last two years, the results really haven't been there," Edberg said. "My motivation has slipped a little bit.
"If I want to continue playing tennis, I want to feel that I can be in the top 10, I want to feel I can win another Grand Slam. And right now, I feel that is very difficult."
Edberg has a long history in Los Angeles, beginning at the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984 when he won the gold medal for Sweden in tennis. He is also a past champion at the Infiniti Open, winning the singles title in 1990 and the doubles with Anders Jarryd in 1986.
"Playing at the 1984 Olympics at the UCLA campus will always be in my memories because it was a fantastic experience for me," Edberg said. "I do think that the (LATC) is a very special stadium and I've enjoyed playing there over the years."
Entering this week's tournament, Edberg is ranked No. 28 in the world with a record of 27-16 this year, reaching one final and one semifinal this season.
"Stefan has always been a great champion," Chang said. "We have had some very tough matches together."
None tougher than their third-round match at the French Open earlier this season. Edberg, who never won on the red clay of Roland Garros, fed off of the enthusiastic crowd to knock off the 1989 champion.
As for Chang, this week could be a golden opportunity to avenge that loss. He moved to a career-high No. 3 world ranking after winning the Legg Mason Tennis Classic in Washington.
Last week's victory only confirmed Chang's status as one of the world's best on the hardcourts. His career record of 262-83 on that surface is fifth-best among all current players.
"Hardcourt is the most comfortable surface for me," Chang said. "The bounce is always straight and it tends to be fast. Each time I step out on hardcourt, things get better and better."
Chang is not the only player riding a wave of momentum this week. Eighth-ranked Krajicek, seeded second at the Infiniti Open, makes his first appearance since his breakthrough victory at Wimbledon.
The two-time Infiniti Open champion has lurked in the top 20 the previous four years but found little success in Grand Slam play, especially at Wimbledon where Krajicek was 7-5 before this year.
But after battling through injuries which have plagued him most of his career, Krajicek defeated Stich and Pete Sampras at Wimbledon en route to his first Grand Slam title. And suddenly, the hard-serving Dutchman is no secret in the draw.
"It's a different feeling to be expected to do well," Krajicek said. "But it feels good being the Wimbledon champion and it's a good burden to have."
Stich, the defending Infiniti Open champion, is another player expected to do well this week. After a foot injury sidelined him earlier in the season, Stich came back strong in the clay court season, capped by a runner-up finish at the French Open.
He also reached the round of 16 at Wimbledon before succumbing to the eventual-champion Krajicek.
Also playing this week are 1996 Olympian and No. 3 seed Thomas Enqvist and former Bruin Justin Gimelstob, last year's national 18's singles champion.
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In addition to the 32 singles players taking part in the Infiniti Open, 16 doubles teams will also take to the courts this week at the Los Angeles Tennis Center.
The doubles competition will feature the antics of brothers Luke and Murphy Jensen. Camarillo, Calif.'s Bob and Mike Brian, the national 18's champions and NCAA champions Gimelstob and Srdjan Muskatirovic will also participate in the doubles.