Friday's Report: HS 🏈,🥎,🏐, Russell Henley, Mercer Tennis Classic; Tech, UGA, Falcons; college 🏈&🏀, MLB, NFL, NBA
Thursday's Central Georgia - and of interest to Central Georgia - news and notes, compiled from staff reports, email reports, the web, and social media.
In Coverage: Scoreboard, Maxwell Ratings predictions, state rankings
Coming Friday: Scouting reports
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Around/About Central Georgia
Top seeds advance at Mercer Tennis Classic
The Mercer Tennis Classic has moved into the quarterfinals of singles and the semifinals of doubles at the John Drew Smith Tennis Center.
Singles winners on Thursday included top seed Madison Brengle, former world No. 36 Nadia Podoroska, and rising American Emma Navarro.
No. 2 seed Panna Udvardy of Hungary moved to the next round, thanks to a walkover.
Former Macon champ Kateryna Bondarenko was in the featured night match. Bondarenko took on a tough college player in Lisa Zaar, who is from Sweden but plays for Pepperdine.
As expected, Bondarenko started well, a hold and a break for 2-0. Zarr then held and forced a long game at 2-1, but Zaar sprayed a forehand wide and Bondarenko’s confidence soared. The first set went to the WTA veteran 6-1.
Bondarenko jumped out to another 2-0 lead in the second set. That only upped the fight for the college player. Zaar then reeled off six straight games to take the second set.
In the third, Bondarenko again jumped out to a 2-0 lead. Zaar fought back as they traded holds. Bondarenko broke to win the match and advance to the quarterfinals.
Brengle showed much of the form that has allowed her to win two ITF titles this fall. Service returns and consistent groundstrokes are Brengle’s trademark.
Brengle next faces No. 7 seed Taylor Townsend. Townsend has dropped just three games in her first two matches.
- From Mercer Tennis Classic (edited)
Henley off to sluggish start
Russell Henley’s front nine gave some optimism.
The back nine took it away.
Henley’s double-bogey on No. 11 veered him to a 3-over first round of the CJ Cup in Ridgeland, S.C. on Thursday.
The Maconite shot a 74 and sits in a tie for 67th in the field of 78. He followed the double with three more bogeys and one birdie for a 4-over back nine in his second event of the season.
Around/About Georgia/Southeast
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Sims injury helps doom Georgia Tech
Starks’ journey to becoming one of the nation’s top freshmen
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Mariota has earned right to start all year
College Football/Southeast
Abanikanda, Maye top group of ACC playmakers
Sanders: HBCUs can be path to NFL
51-yard FG lifts Troy over South Alabama
College Football
Column: Why playoff games should be on campus-Tennessee/Alabama
CFP expansion discussed again, no decisions
Notre Dame Stadium no longer place of solace under Freeman
College Basketball
SEC ambitions: League judged by March success
UNC, Duke stand out in ACC even with coaching transitions
Kentucky favored to win 50th regular-season conference title
Defending ACC champ Virginia Tech eyes repeat
Former Georgia College standout Grant continues rebuild at BC
Unranked Michigan State faces tough tests
Injured Bueckers will be a student coach
FSU rebuilding around ‘2-year veterans’
Clemson eyes rebound after missing NCAAs
Baseball/MLB
Bregman bomb keys Houston win over New York
Musgrove to get the ball in Game 3
There’s a new bird in San Diego, not the Chicken
NBA/WNBA/Basketball
Hornets’ Bouknight unconscious, had gun before DWI arrest
Football/NFL/USFL
Commanders check bounces after ‘bank error’
Tagovailoa doesn’t remember being carted off the field
49ers get McCaffrey from Carolina
Two pick-6s help Arizona past New Orleans
Prescott plans to play this Sunday vs. Detroit
The perfect Dolphins knew what defeat felt like
After 50 years, ‘our last time together?’
Around the nation/world