Gustavo Campagnoli, 11, and Gabriele Montanari, 14, both of Italy,

EDWARDSVILLE - The recent Edwardsville Pro Wildcard Tourney and Edwardsville Futures event had a definite international flair and behind the scenes there were a few younger tennis players who benefited from the two weeks.

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Gustavo Campagnoli, 11, and Gabriele Montanari, 14, both of Italy, spent a few weeks staying with Edwardsville tennis coach Dave Lipe and family, learning the tennis ropes and absorbing the local culture. It’s safe to say both Campagnoli and Montanari love the American ways and what the small city of Edwardsville has to offer.

Four years ago, Gustavo made a trip to Edwardsville with his father, Danato, a well-known tennis coach in Italy. Danato was coaching another Italian player and wanted him to play in Edwardsville.

Both Gustavo and Gabriele wanted to participate in the Edwardsville tennis academy during the tourney for younger players and Lipe and his family welcomed them this year and last year to join in the fun.

Lipe remains a good friend with Gustavo’s father and stays in touch with him year round. The boys are both from Modena, Italy. Modena is known worldwide for its Parmesan cheese, balsamic vinegar and restaurants.

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“This is the second summer they have been here training, learning about tennis and the culture,” Lipe said. “It has also helped them learn the language better. It is also a great opportunity for our kids and players to learn about the culture of another country. Our kids love meeting the Italians. We know the kids on and off the court. Edwardsville embraces all the tennis players who come to this small town every summer.”

Gustavo said he loves the Edwardsville High School tennis facilities and people in the city and the United States in general.

“We even went to Chicago to see the big city and got a taste of it,” Gustavo said. “We played tennis at Lake Forest Park. We also spent some time at the Hill in St. Louis.”

Gustavo has a goal to play college tennis at a university here and eventually train to become a professional player. He said most of the courts in Italy are made of clay, so playing on the hard courts is somewhat different.

Gabriele is an exceptional player for his age in the 14 and under category in Italy. Gabriele said he hopes to return to Edwardsville again to play and also play in tourneys throughout Europe in the future. He, too, has high aspirations of playing college and professional tennis in the future.

Lipe said both Gustavo and Gabriele and their parents have been exceptionally grateful for their children to have the experience of learning more about tennis and the American culture here and said it was just another one of the positive international crossovers of the Wildcard Tourney and Edwardsville Futures event.

Gustavo Campagnoli shows his footwork.

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