Midnight madness claimed a mortal toll on the McEnroe brothers.

First Patrick fell victim to Jimmy Connors in a match that ended at 1:35 a.m. EDT, and three nights later, big brother John was on the court until 1:27 a.m. before being wiped away by Michael Chang.A boisterous, party-like crowd, highly vocal in its support of Connors, helped undo the nerves of the younger McEnroe after he led by two sets and 3-0 in the third. On Friday night-Saturday morning, John McEnroe was the recipient of the verbal encouragement.

All to no avail.

Although Chang admitted to being unnerved by the highly charged pro-McEnroe electricity, he persevered for a 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (7-1), 2-6, 6-3 victory.

As a result, McEnroe, a four-time Open champion and the 16th seed, fell short once again in his comeback bid, and failed to equal the semifinal berth he earned last year.

"It's hard to talk about it," a subdued McEnroe lamented following the marathon of four hours and 33 minutes. "It's pretty disappointing after you lose. I gave my best. I had my chances, and I let him in a little bit.

"I was playing reasonably well, but not well enough."

Minutes earlier, McEnroe had two break points in the final game of the match. But Chang, not known for his strong serve, delivered three aces in that game, bringing his total for the night to 11.

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On the first of those aces in the final set, chair umpire Steve Ullrich overruled a fault call. McEnroe steamed bitterly about the overrule and screamed at Ullrich, "Words cannot describe how low I think you are."

Chang, who is unseeded, not only surprised McEnroe with his serve, but also produced 16 winning lobs. He credited this combination with being the key that lifted him into a fourth-round confrontation against No. 2 Stefan Edberg.

This is the third time in four years Chang has gained the fourth round of the Open. To make it to the quarterfinals for the first time, he will have to get past Edberg.

For the 32-year-old McEnroe, he is facing perhaps one last year as a full-time player, and perhaps one more fading chance to win the championship he once dominated.

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