Points won by each set: [ 33-37, 28-21, 32-29, 34-25 ]
Points won directly on serve:
27 % Chang – 36 of 130
26 % Ulihrach – 29 of 109
Chang [3] defended his title triumphing at Indian Wells for the third time. The underdog, 22-year-old Ulihrach [43] was in a form of his life, and with his game-style it was pretty clear he would make an upset. He was keeping his great form until he led 6-4, 3-all. Then the favorite won five straight games and took control over the final outcome. “In the beginning, he was playing some incredible tennis,” Chang said. “We were trading groundstrokes and all of a sudden he ripped a backhand down-the-line winner from nowhere.” “I started thinking I could win,” Ulihrach said. “But this is best of five. You have to concentrate all the game, every point. I lost a little bit of concentration at the beginning of the second set and he broke me.”
Chang’s route to his 28th title:
2 Sjeng Schalken 6-4, 6-3
3 Marc Rosset 6-2, 7-5
Q Cedric Pioline 6-3, 6-2
S Thomas Muster 6-1, 7-6(1)
W Bohdan Ulihrach 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-3