Downingtown East’s Dickson captures PIAA singles title

HERSHEY >> Michael Dickson was in this same spot a year ago. This time, he didn’t let the moment escape.

At times challenged, but never shaken, Dickson became the PIAA Class AAA boys tennis singles champion Saturday afternoon at Hershey Racquet Club. The Downingtown East junior defeated Fox Chapel freshman Robby Shymansky 6-4, 6-3 in the final to win the program’s first state tennis championship.

Dickson made it to last year’s title match as a sophomore, but lost to Greater Latrobe’s Chad Kissell in three sets.

This weekend’s chase had its tense moments, for sure, but Dickson was able to plow through them. He was not extended to a third set in any of his four matches. His toughest challenge came earlier Saturday in the morning session, from Fox Chapel’s Sidd Rajupet. He had Dickson down, 4-2, in the opening set before East’s ace recovered to win the set, 7-5. He then captured the second set 6-3 to move into the championship.

“I’d say the biggest things were forehand consistency and first-serve percentage,” Dickson said when asked to compare his game a year ago to that of Saturday’s title run. “Both were way up from last year.”

Dickson did not light the court on fire in either of his Saturday matches. It was, instead, akin to a slow burn. Contrast that, to his winning 24 of 25 games contested in Friday’s first two rounds in cruising to the semis.

Dickson had faced Rajupet before, but not Shymansky. Rajupet had clinched a spot in the title match by upending Lower Merion’s Matt Chen 6-3, 7-5 in the other semifinal.

“Just to start out, you try and get a feel for your opponent,” he said. “They both know how to put the ball away, so you have to feel them out first, try to finds their strengths and weaknesses and exploit them later.”

Dickson fell into a similar pattern against his second Fox Chapel opponent of the day. Shymansky moved out early with a break, before Dickson ripped off four straight to win the first set on his way to seven, for a 3-0 second-set edge.

“Sometimes I’ll go for too much,” Dickson said. “I’ll go for broke, go for lines instead of just keeping the ball in the court. But you’ve got to give credit to both Robby and Sidd; they both put the pressure on early.”

Dickson broke Shymansky twice in the second set but needed to conquer a four-deuce game, serving for match, to ice gold. A long return from the freshman ended the match and set off a heartfelt celebration inside HRC.

“It’s a great feeling,” Dickson said, as a wide smile creased his face. “I mean, I’ve worked so hard. I have a great support system and great coaches and I’m just so happy.”