Michael Chang made a quick exit from the Italion Open today, eliminated in the first round in straight sets by a man 52 spots lower in the ATP rankings/
Chang, No. 2 in the world and seeded second in this tournament, lot to Argentina's Hernan Gumy, 6-3, 6-2 on the Foro Italico's clay courts. The 1989 French Open champion also was upset in the first round at his last event, a clay tournament in Atlanta last month.French Open champion Yevgeny Kafelnikov, seeded fourth, moved nto the second round with 7-5-7-6 (7-5) victory over Spain's Javier Sanchez, while No. 12 Boris Becker got pat Italian wild-card Andrea Gaudenzi 7-6 (7-3), 6-2.
"I think more or less thee's a regular transition from hard courts to clay," Chang said."Quite honestly, I don't feel like I've made that transition yet."
Chang had won an ATP tour-high four events this season, but never found his game against Gumy - who pulled another surprise last year when he knocked out Jim Courier, then the fifth seed, in the second round here.
"Today was my day. I did everything well. He made a lot of mistakes and I took advantage of them," Gumy said.
Richard Krajicek also is working on adapting to the clay courts.
His big serve, net rushes and crips volleys are built for fast courts. "I want to prove to a lot of people that I can play on clay. And I can do that by winning the Franch Open," the fifth-seeded Dutchman said Monday after a workmanlike 7-5, 6-3 win over local wild card Diego Nargiso in the first round of the Italion Open.
"Here and the French Open are my last two clay events of the year, so I want to do well, and I think I can," said Krajicek, who faces Germany's Marc-Kevin Goellner in the second round. "The clay is fast at both tournaments, so it allows me to play my game."
That game is a perfect fit for the slick grass at Wimbledon, where Krajicek claimed his first Grand Slam title last year. And it can work on the slower clay as Krajicek showed by winning at Bracelona in 1994 and reaching the final here a year ago.