Great Valley’s Gangoli crowned PIAA-AAA boys tennis champion

HERSHEY >> Sameer Gangoli of Great Valley became the third consecutive Ches-Mont League state tennis champion Saturday evening when he defeated Dallastown’s Holden Koons 6-1, 6-7(6), 6-2 in the PIAA Class AAA championship match at Hershey Racquet Club.

Gangoli succeeds Downingtown East’s Michael Dickson as state champ. Dickson was a two-time winner, in 2016 and ’17.

“It’s amazing,” Gangoli said. “As soon as I hit the return winner (to clinch), I was so happy. I didn’t expect to win this tournament but I knew I could go deep. I’ve always wanted to win states. Playing for your team is something completely different than playing for yourself. It’s prestigious and I’m happy to bring it back to my school.”

Gangoli, just a sophomore, squared off against District 3’s three-time defending champion in Koons, who was seeking his first gold as a junior. Koons survived an intense and spectacular second-set tiebreak 8-6 — as good as scholastic tennis gets — before succumbing in the third.

The tiebreak was knotted at 4 before Koons battled through to earn a hard-won third set. Having to recover and fight on may have broken a lot of younger players, but Gangoli proved he was no ordinary sophomore between the ears and on the court.

“I tried to stay as calm as possible and stay as positive as possible,” Gangoli said. “I knew I had done what I could in the first set and if I stayed aggressive and positive that good would happen.”

Gangoli had to be a frustrating encounter for Koons, who appeared to hit several winners that would bury lesser opponents, only to watch Gangoli dig out numerous returns from seemingly impossible odds.

“Just a lot of training, I guess,” Gangoli said, with a slight smile. “My father (in India) was a sprinter as well, so good genes, perhaps. I’m pretty flexible and I’m able to get to slide and get to more balls than I think I can.”

Gangoli’s route to the final went past Unionville’s Tristan Bradley earlier Saturday — and that three-set semifinal ended in controversial fashion when a return from Bradley in a third set tiebreak, with the match on the line, was called out and the USTA chair umpire seated at HRC held up the call. It allowed Gangoli to escape with a somewhat heated 6-4, 6-7(2), 7-6(6) verdict.

Koons had defeated Fox Chapel’s Robby Shymansky 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-4 in Saturday’s other AAA semifinal.

Gangoli teammates Nikhil Gangoli and Sam Kesti were beaten in the doubles semifinal by Shady Side Academy’s Naman Dua and Colin Gramley 6-4, 2-6, 6-4. Nikhil Gangoli and Kesti later brought home bronze with a 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 victory over Council Rock North duo Matt Whalen and Chris DeMedio in the third-place match.

Philly Masterman’s Jon Nottingham was crowned the AA champion Saturday with a 7-5, 7-5 win over Westmont Hilltop’s Adam Kush.