Berg to face Walker in Quarters
GOOD ACTION AT SPORTS CLUB LA IN NYC   [Draw / Resuts]

By Rob Dinerman © 2003; all rights of reproduction reserved.
May 16, 2003 

Kumail Mehmood tops John Russell in Thursday action, photo © 2003 Debra Tessier for Squashtalk

Fresh off his first career title in Atlanta this past
weekend and what had to have been a personally satisfying first-round
victory last night over his ISDA doubles nemesis Clive Leach, third seed Viktor
Berg will go up against two-time S. L. Green champion Damian Walker this evening at the host L. A. Sports Club on Manhattan's upper east side in a scheduled 7:30 quarter-final match at the 35th annual Hyder Invitational.

Walker, who came within a single point of what would have been his third consecutive S. L. Green crown in his 2003 final against Preston Quick, became the only one of the five entered Americans to survive the first round when he defeated
5-8 seed Stuart Cowie in three surprisingly one-sided games.

Walker's compatriots Tim Wyant, Beau River and Jamie Crombie lost to No. 1
seed Shahier Razik, former PSA No. 2 Brett Martin and second seed Peter Genever respectively, though River was able to force Martin to a fourth game.

Richard Chin (foreground) fell short against Julian Wellings, photo © 2003 Debra Tessier for Squashtalk

Also losing in four was 1996 Hyder champion Richard Chin, a record five-time
U. S. team member in World Team Championships competition, who quality output this season has been noticeably higher than in recent years, a remarkable feat for someone in his mid-30's. Chin pushed 2002 Hyder finalist and fourth seed Julian Wellings through four wonderfully played games in a highly entertaining all-court battle whose outcome might well have been different had Chin not dropped the second-game tiebreaker that put him down two games to love. He then rallied to win the third game and was right on the brink in the fourth before losing it 15-12.

Kerim Yehia stopped Daniel Ezra, photo © 2003 Debra Tessier for Squashtalk

In the only five-game match of the evening, Kerim Yehia recovered from a disastrous 15-2 fourth game to out-last former Harvard star Daniel Ezra 15-8 in the fifth. Yehia, who had to default due to injury in the middle of his 2002 Hyder semi-final with eventual champ Damien Mudge, will now face top seed Razik this evening, whose additional quarter-final action will feature Genever vs. Kumail Mehmood (winner in four over John Russell), Martin vs. Wellings and, as noted, Walker vs. Berg.

The latter relied on his fitness and incredible foot speed in his 15-9 15-13 17-13 win over Leach, whom he hadn't defeated on the pro doubles tour since March 2002, when he and Willie Hosey defeated Leach and Blair Horler in a Baltimore semi-final. Horler and Leach had avenged that loss six weeks later in Toronto and won both their matches against Berg and his 2002-2003 partner Josh McDonald this past season. Berg and Leach both play the right-wall and their battles over there have been fierce and occasionally very physical; there was no doubt that each hoped to make a statement in last night's rare singles encounter that would carry over to the forthcoming doubles season.

Victor Berg dazzles Clive Leach, photo © 2003 Debra Tessier for Squashtalk

The British-born Leach has been ranked as high as No. 26 on the PSA tour (compared to Berg's current and career-high No. 45 standing), and his superior ball control and court savvy enabled him to jump out to leads of 9-5 in the first game, 11-8 in the second and 6-2 in the third. But in each case he hit a fatigue wall that was exacerbated by the furious pace at which the Canadian star Berg plays, resulting in runs of 10-0 to close the first game and 6-0 to pretty much clinch the second. Another six-point spurt from Berg in the third game brought him from 2-6 to 8-6, though Leach was able to hang on long enough to force a tiebreaker. But a spectacular Berg retrieve midway through an excruciatingly long second point in that extra session got him to match-ball, which he converted with a backhand three-wall that found the nick and sealed his well deserved victory.

The $ 7,000 women's WISPA Hyder draw will kick off this evening, featuring a 7:45 match between four-time and current U. S. national champion Latasha Khan and defending Hyder champion Katie Patrick. The women's quarter- and semi-final rounds will both be played on Saturday with the final set for Sunday afternoon at 1:30.

Beau River and Brett Martin, photo © 2003 Debra Tessier for Squashtalk

Chris Wyant and Shahier Razik, photo © 2003 Debra Tessier for Squashtalk

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