Carlisle’s Silva says his goal is to win state tennis tourney

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What: Division I and Division II state tennis tournament

When: Friday and Saturday

Where: Hilliard Davidson High School

Carlisle’s Danilo Faria Silva qualified for this weekend’s Division II boys tennis state championship, but he’s not all too happy about how he got there.

“I got the third seed,” he said. “I lost one match of the four I played (at districts). It was just a bad time. I think I was kind of nervous, but I just don’t know what happened. It was not a good time at all.”

Silva, an exchange student from Londrina, Parana, Brazil, said he’s been working really hard to get in better shape and to improve his skills before the state tourney.

He said he’s unaccustomed to playing in a tournament format where a player has to reach the final four in sectionals before doing the same at districts in order to qualify for the state meet.

“I’ve been in a lot of tournaments at home,” Silva said. “It’s kind of different, because in Brazil you can just pay and get in. There’s no sectionals and districts and then state.”

Silva’s hometown of Londrina is located roughly 250 miles west of Sao Paulo, Brazil, and about 200 miles northwest of Curitaba.

Sixteen of the state’s top singles players and 16 of the best doubles teams will vie for the state crowns in both Division I and II.

Silva opens play against Michael Fredericka, the Northeast District champion from Warren John F. Kennedy.

Silva admitted to being a little nervous about facing an unknown opponent like Fredericka.

“I think I might be even more stressed, because I don’t know what to expect. But I think it’s very nice that my teammates from Carlisle will be on hand to support me,” he said.

While he’s scheduled to fly home to Londrina in 17 days, Silva hopes to return to America to play somewhere at the college level.

“My goal is to win this tournament and hopefully play for a college program,” he said. “I’m going to do my best, I know that.”

In the Division I tournament, Springboro’s team of Ryan O’Gara and Zach Barry will face Matt Miles and Aaron Sandberg of Cuyahoga Falls Walsh Jesuit, the Northeast District runners-up.

The Springboro duo qualified for state with a third-place finish at districts last week.

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