Tony East sent a backhand return over the net during his singles match with Butler County's Brennan Grubb. East won the first set 6-2 and was leading 1-0 in the second set when rain ended the opening round of the 3rd Region Tennis Tournament in Owensboro.

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Jeremiah Duvall (left) readied for a return as his doubles partner Shayne Bratcher served. Duvall and Bratcher were trailing 2-5 in the first set of their opening-round match.

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Jeremiah Duvall forehanded a return during the opening round of doubles competition.

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Shayne Bratcher served in the opening round of the 3rd Region doubles competition.

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By Don Brown

Rain played havoc with the opening round of the 2012 3rd Region Tennis Championships Monday evening at Owensboro’s Moreland Park.

All 12 courts were seeing boys action when rain brought things to a halt. Officials will try to get the tournament back on track with both boys and girls action on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Grayson County’s Tony East won the first set of his opening-round match with Butler County’s Brennan Grubb by a 6-2 score, and was leading 1-0 in the second set when play was halted.

The Cougars’ number-two doubles combination of Shayne Bratcher and Jeremiah Duvall had its hands full with the Muhlenberg County duo of Robbie Burch and Seth Ferguson. The Cougar pair trailed 2-5 in the first set when play was called.

The Cougars did pick up a team point on the day. The number-one doubles team of Brett Majors and Aaron Zellars were scheduled to play the Cloverport duo of J. A. Cliburn and Patrick Dejour, but the Aces pair pulled out of the tournament, giving the Grayson County duo a forfeit win.

For their fortune in that round, Majors and Zellars will play the number-three seeded Apollo team of Austin and Jared Richards when the second round resumes.

The Cougars’ only seeded player, junior Michael Thomas, who is seeded fifth, had a bye in the first round and never got on the court.

Last week, the Cougar teams closed out their regular season play with a pair of wins. Hosting the Cloverport Aces on Friday, April 27, the Lady Cougars won their match 9-0, while the Cougars won 7-2.

On Wednesday, May 2, the Cougars played host to Central Hardin, with the Lady Cougars winning 9-0 and the Cougars prevailing 6-3.

The Lady Cougars finished their season with a record of 14-4, while the Cougars were13-5.

CLOVERPORT RESULTS

Girls Singles

Cassidy White (GC) def. Jessica Dejour (C), 6-0, 6-0; Grace Gorby (GC) def. Allison Brown (C), 6-0, 6-0; Alisha Manion (GC) def. Cassie Emery (C), 8-1; Erin Marshall (GC) def. Sabrina Dunn (C), 8-0; Lauren Crawford (GC) def. Katlyn Pate (C), 8-0; Katie Hayes (GC) def. Alexis Weedman (C), 8-0.

Exhibition match: Miranda Shelton (GC) def. Cassie Emery (C), 6-1.

Girls Doubles

Rachael Woosley & Alisha Manion (GC) def. Cassie Emery & Sabrina Dunn (C), 6-0, 6-0; Erin Marshall & Lauren Crawford (GC) def. Jessica Dejour & Allison Brown (C), 6-0, 6-0; Katie Hayes & Grace Gorby (GC) def. Katlyn Pate & Alexis Weedman (C), 8-0.

Boys Singles

Michael Thomas (GC) def. Luke Booty (C), 6-3, 4-6, 6-3; Tony East (GC) def. Patrick Dejour (C), 6-0, 6-0; Aaron Zellars (GC) def. Jimmy Hanor (C), 8-1; Brett Majors (GC) def. Nick Smith (C), 8-0; Shayne Bratcher (GC) def. John Andrew Cliburn (C), 8-1; Jeremiah Duvall (GC) def. Cody Simmons (C), 8-3.

Boys Doubles

Cody Simmons & Nick Smith (C) def. Brett Majors & Aaron Zellars (GC), 6-2, 6-2; Luke Booty & Jimmy Hanor (C), def, Tony East & Michael Thomas (GC), 8-6; Shayne Bratcher & Jeremiah Duvall (GC) def. J. A. Cliburn & Patrick Dejour (C), 6-0, 6-2.

CENTRAL HARDIN RESULTS

Girls Singles

Cassidy White (GC) def. Riley Keys (CH), 8-2; Grace Gorby (GC) def. Ashley O’Brien (CH), 8-0; Rachael Woosley (GC) def. Taylor Mudd (CH), 8-1; Alisha Manion (GC) def. Alexis McGonigle (CH), 8-0; Erin Marshall (GC) def. Sara Rinekin (CH), 8-0; Lauren Crawford (GC) def. Avery Hanaker (CH), 8-1.

Exhibition matches: Kristen Jarboe (GC) def. Avery Hanaker (CH), 8-5; Julie Stivers (CH) def. Raven Shelton (GC), 8-2.

Girls Doubles

Alisha Manion & Rachael Woosley (GC) def. Hannah Thomas & Emily Novak (CH), 8-3; Erin Marshall & Lauren Crawford (GC) def. Sara Rinekin & Avery Hanaker (CH), 8-1; Mackenzie Yeiser & Katie Hayes (GC) def. Julie Stivers & Megan Cross (CH), 8-2.

Exhibition match: Bailey Decker & Grace Pavlak (GC) def. Alex Weakley & Rebecca Mackey (CH), 8-3.

Boys Singles

Tod Skaggs (CH) def. Michael Thomas (GC), 8-1; Tony East (GC) def. Kevin Britt (CH), 8-4; Aaron Zellars (GC) def. Joel Nason (CH), 8-0; Brett Majors (GC) def. Alfredo Pardo (CH), 8-1; Jeremiah Duvall (GC) def. Alex Norton (CH), 8-3; Sam Embry (GC) def. Gabe Gonzalez (CH), 8-1.

Boys Doubles

Hares Patel & Vasu Patel (CH) def. Aaron Zellars & Michael Thomas (GC), 8-6; Jeremiah Duvall & Cameron Hicks (GC), def. Kyle Compton & Alfredo Pardo (CH), 9-8 (7-4); Gabe Early & John Jarboe (GC) def. Austin Svedjan & Gabe Gonzalez (CH), 8-4.