Hudson junior Henrique Sa headlines boys tennis state qualifiers from Akron-Canton area

The Division I and II boys tennis state tournaments are scheduled for Thursday and Friday at the College of Wooster.

Four singles players and four doubles teams from the Greater Akron-Canton area are entered in this year's tournaments.

Here is a breakdown of the area qualifiers:

Division I boys tennis state qualifiers from the Akron-Canton area

Hudson junior Henrique Sa, Revere freshman Finn Keenan and GlenOak junior Dylan Wiles will be on the court in Division I singles action Thursday.

Sa (28-2) won the district championship at Springside Athletic Club in Akron last week, defeating Solon junior Zach Krantz in the semifinals and Keenan in the final.

"Henrique brings a high energy to the court each day," Hudson coach Tim Morgan said. "This season’s success is marked by his court coverage skills, and the ability to compete at a high level from both the baseline and at the net."

Keenan, who is coached by David Heideman, topped Avon junior AJ Sidoti in a semifinal match that lasted over three hours. Keenan is 15-3 in singles matches.

"Finn is a great teammate, a hard worker and an amazing tennis player," Heideman said.

Wiles finished fifth under coach Chris Porter.

The Division I doubles teams headed to Wooster are Jackson seniors Shiv Nagajothi and Rohan Sriram, Walsh Jesuit seniors Charlie Kealy and Michael Vallone, Jackson senior Ishan Tripathy and junior Larson Sutula and Archbishop Hoban freshmen Jack Slay and Jeremy Hammel.

Jackson's Nagajothi and Sriram were second to Westlake's Rohit Jain and Xander Jhaveri at the district tournament at Springside. Tripathy and Sutula placed fourth.

Sriram is Jackson's No. 1 singles player, going 18-4 at first singles this season and 9-1 at doubles for a 27-5 overall record. Nagajothi is 19-0 in singles matches and 9-2 at doubles for a 28-2 overall record.

"Rohan Sriram's selfless dedication to team goals has set the tone for the team's final four run [in the team state tournament]," Jackson coach Brett Marlowe said. "Rohan had the match clincher on Monday versus Avon to advance the team to the state final four. His state doubles partner, Shiv Nagajothi, is the senior captain of our team. Shiv has been a leader of the team on and off the court and is the only player capable of matching Rohan's confidence level on the court."

Sutula is 20-6 in doubles matches and Tripathy is 24-6 in doubles matches.

"Larson is a loyal friend and has the biggest personality on the team, both making his teammates laugh and firing them up during big points," Marlowe said. "Ishan is the most consistent doubles force at Jackson and is a one-man cheering machine for his teammates the moment he's won his court. Ishan is the type of player that will play tennis anytime with anyone who asks."

Walsh's Kealy and Vallone were third at the district tournament under coach Rocco Cona.

Vallone was 11-6 at first singles this season and Kealy was 13-5 at second singles. They are 11-2 in doubles matches together.

"I am very proud of how they have developed as players over their past four years at Walsh Jesuit," Cona said. "They are both extremely hard workers who never complain and are both tremendous competitors. They both exemplify all of my Walsh players that I’ve had in the past, tremendous student athletes both on and off the court."

Hoban's Slay and Hammel were sixth at the district tournament. Hammel is 8-3 in doubles and Slay is 8-5.

"Jack is 6-foot-4 with a big serve and great net game," Hoban coach Terry Slay said. "He is very athletic and has a good all-around game. Jeremy is mentally tough and does well at adapting his game to who he plays. He is a tough competitor who is always thinking of ways to beat his opponent.

"The two boys really complement each other on the court and are great friends off the court. They were unseeded at sectionals and have pulled off a lot of upsets to be in this position of playing in the state tournament. They are the first boys from Hoban to ever qualify for the state tournament and they are only freshmen."

Division II boys tennis state qualifier from the Akron-Canton area

The lone Division II state qualifier from the area is St. Vincent-St. Mary senior Ben McKnight, a singles player who finished fourth in the district tournament at Springside.

McKnight is 17-9 in singles matches this season.

"Ben brings years of experience," STVM coach Alan Walker said. "Between high school matches and USTA tournaments, Ben has played over 250 matches in the last four years. All these competitive matches have allowed Ben to really understand his game. He coaches himself very well; giving him resiliency and confidence in stressful situations."

Michael Beaven can be reached at mbeaven@thebeaconjournal and is on Twitter at @MBeavenABJ.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: OHSAA boys tennis state qualifiers from the Akron-Canton area in 2024