Based in Atlanta, GA - Rick Limpert is an award-winning writer, a best-selling author, and a featured sports travel writer.
Named the No. 1 Sports Technology writer in the U.S. on Oct 1, 2014.
Tuesday, October 20, 2020 at 4:27PM Macon is hosting a women's Pro Circuit event for the 8th time, but maybe no more important year that 2020.
After a break since March, the USTA Pro Circuit return begins in Macon.
Macon, Mercer Tennis Classic, USTA Pro Circuit in Events, Tennis, awards Tuesday, October 21, 2014 at 9:24AM I have to believe at the Tennis Classic of Macon, we are the first USTA Pro Circuit event to utilize a drone.
We had one flying over our pro am...
Pro Am, Tennis Classic of Macon, USTA Pro Circuit, drone in Aviation, Events, Gadgets, News Thursday, October 16, 2014 at 10:25AM 
Two days away from women's professional tennis in Macon and I will be once again the media coordinator and onsite for all 9 days.
Will also be updating the tournament website at www.ustamaconclassic.com.
Come on down to Macon for some great tennis.
Sunday, October 13, 2013 at 9:25PM 
MACON, Georgia, (October 13, 2013) After a week of great weather, outstanding support shown by the Macon tennis community and world class women’s tennis, we arrived at “Finals Sunday” at the 2013 ButlerCars.com Tennis Classic of Macon presented by the W.L. Amos Foundation held at Stratford Academy’s Jaime Kaplan Tennis Center.
The best two players all week have been Anna Tatishvili and Ajla Tomljanovic, so Macon tennis fans were treated to a match that could happen in any grand slam tournament around the world.
Let me give away the result saying Tatishvili took the match 6-3, 1-6, 7-5, but both competitors earned the respect of all the spectators.
The points were long and it was high calibre tennis.
Tatishvili got off to a 4-1 start in the first set, but she said it may have been too good of a start.
“Ajla stepped it up in the second set meanwhile I was having a hard time keeping up,” explained the 23-year old from Georgia. The third set was much closer, I was down 1-4, but felt I could’ve been up 4-1.”
Tomljanovic did up the ante in the second set with a blistering array of serves setting up her forehand.
Tomljanovic continued that hot play until 5-3 in the third and that is when Tatishvili started thinking her way around the court and moving Tomljanovic around.
“I never try to quit, “summed up Tatishvili. “Whenever I go on a court, it’s two to three hours of my work.”
Tatishvili took the third set 7-5 and the inaugural ButlerCars.com Tennis Classic of Macon.
In the doubles final, the American duo of Emily Harman and Elizabeth Lumpkin won a first set filled with service breaks 6-3 and got up 5-3 in the second before former University of Mississippi players Kristi
Boxx and Abigail Guthrie caught fire.
Boxx and Guthrie took the second set in a tiebreaker and then went on to close out the match in the Match Tiebreak 10-4 to claim the 25K title.
After the match, Boxx said she had predicted a three-set win all along.
“I woke up this morning and talked to my mom and said don’t do what Ole Miss did (in football) last night. Take care of business. I texted her back and said we are going to win this one in three sets.”
Which they did.
Great weather and great fan support for professional women’s tennis in Macon all week.
Friday, October 11, 2013 at 8:04PM ButlerCars.com Tennis Classic of Macon
Presented By The W.L. Amos Foundation
STRATFORD ACADEMY - JAIME KAPLAN TENNIS CENTER * OCTOBER 6-13, 2013
SEMIFINALS SET FOR SATURDAY AT BUTLERCARS.COM TENNIS CLASSIC
MACON, Georgia, (October 11, 2013) Ask ButlerCars.com Tennis Classic tournament director Eric Hayes what his favorite day of tournament week is, and you will hear him say, “they all a great, but Friday, when all the quarterfinals are played is special.”
“For many of the players, Friday is the day that determines whether they had a successful week or not,” offers up Hayes. “If they win, in many cases, they earn enough points to significantly boost their ranking.”
Norway’s Ulrikke Eikeri is looking to boost her ranking back up to where it was before she injured her ankle back in February. Eikeri was approaching the No. 250 mark in the world rankings when she sustained an injury.
Now, she has put three great matches together in Macon and feels good about her game.
Playing almost flawless tennis, Eikeri took down American and seventh seed Allie Kiick in a little over an hour.
“The first set was perfect,” Eikeri said of the 6-0, 6-3 victory. “I wasn’t making any errors and everything was perfect in that first set.”
Eikeri was happy with the quick victory, that will allow her to spend the rest of Friday resting and recovering.
Eikeri said her confidence has risen since her first round upset over second seeded Michelle Larcher De Brito.
“It has helped my confidence, beating a player like that- it makes me feel like I can beat anyone.”
Eikeri will next face Anna Tatishvili of Georgia, not the state of Georgia, but the Republic of Georgia. Tatishvili, a former world No. 50 took out two-time NCAA singles champ Nicole Gibbs 6-1, 6-3 in a match where Gibbs frequently chided herself for unforced errors.
Tatishvili noticed her opponent Gibbs, get visibly frustrated, but she didn’t let it affect her game.
“I just try to focus on myself and I think it was because her serve was a little off today,” stated the 23-year old from Tbilisli, Georgia.
In the other semifinals, tournament top seed Ajla Tomljanovic jumped on American Julia Boserup quickly, winning the first set 6-2, but she had to hold on in the second, taking it 7-5.
“It was 6-2, 5-2, playing very solidly,” explained Tomljanovic. “But I have to give credit to her, she really stepped it up and made it more difficult for me to miss some shots I shouldn’t have- but that’s tennis.”
Tomljanovic will face American Madison Brengle in her semifinal match. Brengle defeated fellow American Jacqueline Cako of Seattle, Washington.
In doubles semifinals action, Emily Harman and Elizabeth Lumpkin defeated Lauren Embree and Allie Kiick and the other doubles semi went three sets with the team of Kristi Boxx and Abigail Guthrie defeating Boserup and Samantha Crawford.
The two singles semifinals will take place on Saturday starting at 11 am.
Thursday’s Results (Winners Listed First)
Starting at 10:00Ulrikke EIKERI (NOR)Allie KIICK (USA) [7] WS6-0 6-3
Starting at 10:00Ajla TOMLJANOVIC (CRO) [1]Julia BOSERUP (USA) WS6-2 7-5
Followed byAnna TATISHVILI (GEO) [4]Nicole GIBBS (USA) [6] WS6-1 6-3
Followed byMadison BRENGLE (USA) [3]Jacqueline CAKO (USA) WS6-2 6-1
Followed byEmily J. HARMAN (USA) / Elizabeth LUMPKIN (USA)Lauren EMBREE (USA) / Allie KIICK (USA) WD7-5 6-4
Followed byKristi BOXX (USA) / Abigail GUTHRIE (NZL)Julia BOSERUP (USA) / Samantha CRAWFORD (USA) WD5-7 7-6(5) [13-11]
