TOP seed Michael Chang turned in a royal performance in what was far from a battle royal to capture his second successive Salem Hong Kong Open title at Victoria Park yesterday.
Playing in front of visiting Princess Diana under a baking sun, Chang sped to a 6-3, 6-1 final victory over Sweden's fifth-seeded Jonas Bjorkman.
Around 3,600 spectators who paid around $500 each fried in the Centre Court cauldron for 63 minutes as Bjorkman found the 32-degree Celsius heat too hot to handle against the free-running Chang.
For Chang, it was another relatively easy final, having last year defeated an ailing Patrick Rafter in two quick sets.
Bjorkman broke Chang in the first game of the match, but was, from then on, pinned to the baseline, partly by Chang and partly by his inability to convert enough first serves.
Chang thought he was in for a long match when he lost the first game, but immediately broke back and took control.
