Must commend Max Purcell as tennis mourns death of journalist Mike Dickson

Mike Dickson was striding through the corridors of Melbourne Park on Tuesday. What a tremendous bloke. His death on Wednesday sent shockwaves through the sport.

Australia’s Max Purcell in action against world No.11 Casper Ruud in the Australian Open second round. Picture: AFP

Mike Dickson was striding through the corridors of Melbourne Park on Tuesday. What a tremendous bloke.

Busy, mate? He had the glint in his eye of all the best news hounds. “Plan to be,” he said.

Dickson died on Wednesday. Collapsed and went to the great press box in the sky. My goodness.

The English tennis reporters are a terrific bunch of humans. Dickson was the doyen. He’d been sitting right behind me in the media centre.

On Thursday, his seat was empty. Beyond shocking. Truly unbelievable. Just so bloody sad.

“We are devastated to announce that our wonderful husband and Dad, Mike, has collapsed and died while in Melbourne for the Aus Open,” his wife Lucy, tweeted from their home at Wimbledon. “For 38 years he lived his dream covering sport all over the world. He was a truly great man and we will miss him terribly. Lucy, Sam, Ruby and Joe.”

Dickson was sharp, old-school, laconic, humorous. A lover of sportswriting. “I must commend you on …,” was one of his favourite lines. He must commend you on a column, perhaps, which was the highest praise because Dickson wasn’t inclined towards unwarranted commendations.

He would’ve been courtside for three matches on Thursday – well, he planned to be.

British players Cam Norrie, Katie Boulter and Emma Raducanu were all having a hit. Here’s to Dickson’s colleagues, typing away while their hearts were in tatters. We must commend them.

British tennis writer Mike Dickson, who died on Wednesday, pictured with Roger Federer.

I felt ill. All day. Everyone here has a plan. Dickson, 59, was planning to be in Melbourne for a fortnight to cover the Australian Open for the Daily Mail. Didn’t happen. American Danielle Collins planned to beat world No.1 Iga Swiatek on Rod Laver Arena. Didn’t happen. Australia’s Max Purcell planned to beat Casper Ruud on Margaret Court Arena. Didn’t happen. Norrie planned to beat Giulio Zeppieri on 1573 Arena. He got lucky. Lived to see and fight another day. How sad, how truly sad, to think the Daily Mail’s match report wouldn’t be accompanied by Dickson’s byline.

Purcell’s plans were looking good when he pushed the 11th-seeded Norwegian to a fifth-set tie-breaker. He roared back from a 7-2 deficit but was edged out 6-3 6-7 (5-7) 6-3 3-6 7-6 (10-7).

Three hours and 50 minutes of gallant effort had come to naught to prove yet again that not everything in the plan, in sport and life, can go to plan.

“Definitely committed to a more aggressive game style,” Purcell said after belting 93 winners and making 101 approaches to the net.

“I was happy that I continued it throughout the whole four-hour match and got so close. That’s something I haven’t done a whole lot of in my career.”

Ruud was full of praise.

“I think his plan was just to stress me as much as he could,” he said. “Just rip balls from the back. Try to rush, come to the net.

“He does it so well. It’s tough for me to find any rhythm. I do feel like it was a well-played match.

“I just saw the stats after the match. He won 72 points out of 101 at the net. It just shows how different he plays from kind of the rest of the guys on tour. He serves great, as well. He’s not the biggest guy but he has a really quick arm and shoulder. He generates a lot of spin speed with the serve, mixes it up. He’s a really tricky player.

“A great tennis player in my eyes.”

Must commend Purcell. He’s the world No.45 at 25 years of age. Told of Ruud’s praise, he replied: “I’ve known Casper since I was probably 12 years old. We’re the same age, played juniors together and all that. I’m glad Casper still speaks highly of me. I think I do play a game that can kind of trouble anyone. In saying that there are obviously some still lower-ranked guys that beat me.

“I’ve just got that kind of game style that disrupts rhythm. Anyone on an off day is going to struggle against me. I like the fact the way I play can kind of beat anyone, but also I maybe lose to anyone. But I’m in with a chance every time I step on court.”

Must commend Norrie. He won a five-set thriller.

It was the sort of gallant triumph that would have kept Dickson and his laptop busy.

The great scribe should have been writing about Norrie’s victory for his army of readers back home. He planned to be.

The Daily Mail’s global publisher of sport, Lee Clayton, said: “Dicko was everything you want a correspondent to be – a brilliant news hound, a terrific writer and a friend to so many in his sport. The world of tennis will join us in mourning.

“He was a giant of a journalist. He was just a brilliant bloke, a class act. It was a privilege to work alongside him and to know him.”

Must commend Norrie for commending Dickson. Before he was asked a question in his post-match press conference, he said: “First of all, I want to share my condolences with Mike Dickson. So tough. He was always really fair with me, really nice with me.

“He went out of his way to help my parents move to London, settle into London. Probably a big shock. I just wanted to say that to start it off. So tough waking up and finding that news.”