2 Responses to sanjose94furlan_chang

1. Voo de Mar says:

   October 31, 2025 at 3:36 pm

   Points won by each set: | 26-36, 29-19, 38-35 |
   Points won directly behind the serve:
   19 % Furlan – 18 of 94
   11 % Chang – 10 of 89

   Furlan [69], one of the best Italian players of the 90s with the surname of Slovenian origin, waited three full seasons inside the Top 100 before claiming his maiden title in California – he did it in quite impressive style defeating two top seeded players during the weekend. Chang [9] entered the championship match after two nearly three-hour battles in preceding rounds, and he didn’t look very fresh after the 1st set, meanwhile Furlan changed his tactics attacking the net constantly behind his first serve. The Italian had won five successive games, and led *2:0 in the decider. Chang broke back with his never-say-die attitude, and at 5-all he had a mini-match point; Furlan left the ball above his left shoulder after Chang’s return and it landed beside the sideline not much. In the nerve-wracking last game Furlan missed his forehand on the first match point, then Chang squandered two game points, and made a backhand error trying to save another match point. One month later Furlan would claim his second and last title (Casablanca).

   Furlan’s route to his maiden title (99th main-level event):
   1 Brian Devening 6-2, 6-1
   2 Jaime Oncins 7-6(4), 6-3
   Q Jeff Tarango 1-6, 6-1, 7-5
   S Richey Reneberg 6-4, 6-4
   W Michael Chang 3-6, 6-2, 7-5

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2. Voo de Mar says:

   October 31, 2025 at 3:56 pm

   ☆ There’s one peculiar thing about Furlan who finished his career with an average 223-239 record (highest ranking No. 19 in 1996)…
   he was a super clutch player in the “best of three” format, winning the vast majority of main-level matches when the score indicated 5-all in the deciding set
   (two matches of that kind occurred as he triumphed in San Jose):

   7-6 in deciding 3rd sets (10-2… 83%)
   7-5 in deciding 3rd sets (9-3… 75%)

   …paradoxically his record in tight matches isn’t so impressive at the Challenger level (3-9 in deciding 3rd set tie-breaks),
   but most of those defeats come from the times behind his prime

   He wasn’t bad in five-setters either (7-3 record)

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