IF COHEN STRINGS 'EM, CHANG WILL SWING 'EM

Sean Jensen Washington Post Staff Writer  
July 25, 1998; Page E5

Since he's been in Washington for the Legg Mason Tennis Classic, Michael Chang has had 27 rackets strung. But the two-time defending tournament champion is particular. Not anyone can string his rackets. After trying out a few different candidates, Chang chose Bryan Cohen of Rockville to become his personal stringer after the Legg Mason last year. Cohen, 27, has been stringing rackets for about half of his life and now travels around the world with Chang.

During matches, Cohen usually sits somewhere so he can see Michael and Carl Chang, who coaches his brother. Sometimes, Cohen will be given a signal by Carl to string up another racket with either a higher or lower tension, depending on what Michael wants.

In a match, Chang rotates through several rackets, generally using four or five. When Chang reached the semifinals of the U.S. Open last year, he had Cohen string 92 rackets. "If the strings get soft, the balls will tend to fly and Michael will lose some control," said Cohen, who attended Wootton High.

On the road, Cohen carries several duffel bags, including a 120-pound case -- 2 1/2 feet high, 4 feet wide -- which contains his stringing machine. Several hours before Chang defeated Jim Courier last night, Cohen was busy stringing rackets. "If they sit around too long, they'll lose tension," Cohen said, explaining why he didn't string the rackets much earlier.

Cohen could not be more pleased about working for Michael and Carl. "They're quiet in general," Cohen said. "They're a very close-knit family, and they've been extremely nice to me. They're very appreciative of what I do."

Chang, Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras and Boris Becker of Germany are the only players who have personal stringers.