Dizon and Wright Change up Their Thinking, Take Gold

Megan Sheehan-Dizon has always been known as a power player.

So she decided to make some changes and improve her game. Oh, and she decided to keep some things the same, too. 

The combination worked and it resulted in her first PPA Tour victory as she teamed up with Etta Wright, taking gold at the Red Rock Open Saturday afternoon.

As far as what’s stayed the same, Dizon was still rocking that power game, but she was also alongside a familiar friend. Despite not having teamed up on the PPA Tour until this event, Dizon and Wright have been teammates for two events this year with Major League Pickleball’s Seattle Pioneers and just won an MLP title at the last event.

“So, we thought we’d play some tourneys together outside of MLP,” Dizon said. 

“We were both looking to find some we could play together, and this one worked out,” Wright added.

Well, it went pretty darn well. The two came to Utah and were the sixth seeded team. They outlasted Allyce Jones and Lea Jansen, 10-12, 11-6, 11-5, 3-11, 11-8 for the gold.

And now to some of those changes. Well, Dizon has changed partners a few times, but more importantly she’s changed her mindset.

“The biggest change I’ve made is I’ve turned my inner-dialogue to be positive and productive during my matches,” she said. 

And cleaning up some of the on-court stuff has helped, too.

“For me, my short game has improved a lot,” Dizon said. “I’ve been working on staying on the kitchen line and taking away time from my opponents and it also helps me stay aggressive.”

Aggressiveness has never been a problem for either Dizon or Wright. Both are fast players, with fast hands and no concerns about speeding up play.

But both have slowed down their mental game and that’s what made a difference.. 

“The mental game has been my biggest focus and change this past season,” Wright said. “I’ve worked hard to believe in myself and to push through challenges.”

Parenteau Wins Again

Catherine Parenteau earned the gold with an 11-1, 11-6 victory over Salome Devidze. 

“I studied a lot last night and this morning because I hadn’t played against her since November,” Parenteau said Saturday. “I had a specific game plan, I took it one point at a time, and it worked out pretty well for me. I’m just really happy to get the W today.”