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By James Zug
Photographs by Randall Scott
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 Below is an excerpt from the profile of Viktor Berg. For the complete article, pick up a copy of the June/July 2002 Squash Magazine.)
Viktor Berg at play. Finals, 2001 Canadian Open. Lost first game. Down 13-9 in second. Scramble back. Set three. 15-all. Hosey (then his opponent) sends up high pop fly to deep right field. Berg backpedals. Everyone thinks, lob back. He's in such trouble he will have to lob. Berg leaps. Legs kick out like a high jumper. Never dull. Shoots sharply. Curveball, like a ball dropping off a table. Into corner. Nicks. Wins game. Wins match. Guts.
Eighteen. Loses in finals of Canadian juniors, 9-6 in fifth to Peter Yik. College or squash? Debate for American players in future, maybe. For Canadians, now, definitely. Berg chooses squash. Flies to Toronto. Has no place to stay. Calls friend. Stay for weekend? Stays six months. Bumps into Mike Way, genius coach. Hangs with Mike. Hangs with Gary Waite. Be like Waite. Rents basement suite for half year from Waite. Lives in Waite's upstairs wing for two months. Deck. 500 square feet. Gets groceries. Baby-sits. Plays World Juniors for Canada. Rising star. Potential. Dennis Goodfellow at the Fitness Institute makes him FI's 'Touring Professional.' Sweet. 53 in PSA rankings in September two thou.
First doubles tournament, Wilmington, January 2001. Loses in qualies to Vohr & Butcher. Plays pro-am. We talk in gallery. Very upbeat, upside, up-tempo. Loves scene of a weekend doubles tournament'working out, playing singles on side, energy of club, crowd, nice club, good money, treated like a professional for first time. Teams with Mike Pirnak. Win matches. Lose long bitter ones to Hosey & Bentley. At Johnson performs miracles. Quarters, down 2-0 to Hosey & Bentley. This is Bentley's tournament. Has made finals 13 years in a row. Pirnak & Berg win in five. Semis. Finals beat Waite & Talbott. Huge. Biggest paycheck in career.
New season, new problem. Singles or doubles? Way asks about commitment to singles. Viktor could be top 20, PSA, no problem. Doubles is no good, doesn't have to train hard. Good to make a buck, but singles is different. Can't do both. Go overseas. Play league. Train. Berg doesn't want to. Likes North American clubs, lap-o-luxury locker rooms a block long, steam rooms, stacks of warm towels. Making money here, why scrape?
© James Zug 2002
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Feb 2008
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