Chang and Monsters of Clay Ready for Semifinal Matchups

PARIS — Earlier this week, Adrian Voinea coined a phrase that evoked an improbable image: Michael Chang is the Monster of Clay.

As a snappy phrase, it would not immediately jump to mind in reference to the diminutive and quietly efficient Chang. As a description of his progress to today’s French Open semifinals, it’s apt.

It also speaks to the clay-court prowess of two other semifinalists, Thomas Muster and Sergi Bruguera. That the fourth player, Yevgeny Kafelnikov of Russia, has reached this far is, by his own admission, a delightful surprise.

Today’s matches pit Chang, who won here in 1989, against Bruguera, the two-time defending champion, and Muster against Kafelnikov.

Chang probably won’t be put off by the specter of hours of baseline exchanges. His fitness and patience well documented, he has shown a willingness to take the net when the situation presents itself.

Chang holds a 2-1 record against Bruguera. They have never met on clay.

Muster’s record on clay speaks for itself. The fifth-seeded Austrian has won 33 consecutive matches on the surface, the fourth-longest clay streak in the Open Era. He’s 41-8 for the year on any surface.