As Michael Chang vividly recalls each memory of Japan, he sounds more like a grandfather telling family tales than the former No. 2 tennis player in the world. The good old days of the past flashed back to him, piece by piece, as Chang began talking as if this were his curtain call on this Asian island.
After losing to top-ranked Lleyton Hewitt in the second round of the AIG Japan Open on Wednesday, Chang, the 30-year-old Chinese-American who is loved and admired by Asian communities around the world, reminisced on the thought of ending his highlight-filled career.
He's already announced that he will only stay on Tour for no more than a year with a "selective schedule." So when asked what his fondest memories were of Japan, the 12-year ATP Tour veteran started to recollect, always adding a touch of humor and speaking in a very polite way.