Central Magnet's Nathan Zou qualifies for state tennis

MURFREESBORO — Three days ago, Nathan Zou battled Notre Dame's J.R. Davis in a lengthy three-set tennis match that had no end after the Irish clinched a win over Central Magnet for the Region 4-A/AA team title.

This time, Zou, a Central Magnet freshman, took care of business quickly.

Zou beat Davis 6-3, 6-0 in the Region 4-A/AA singles championship Monday at Old Fort Park to clinch a berth in next week's TSSAA Class A/AA state tournament in Spring Fling.

Zou said he learned valuable information from the earlier meeting with Davis: "That if I just continue to grind him and grind him — make the points longer — he'll get really tired. In the second set he was totally gassed. I was able to take advantage there."

Zou was the lone Central Magnet player to advance to state.

The girls doubles duo of Laurel Tipps and Jordan Berrios lost in a two-set heartbreaker 7-6 (8-6), 7-6 (7-5) to Notre Dame's Sarah Faith Ingel and Mary Margaret Haywood in the championship. The boys doubles duo of Greyson Gore and brother Reed Gore fell in the boys doubles final 6-1, 6-4 to Notre Dame's Andrew Lisy and Nick Coronis.

Central Magnet's Chase Owens lost 7-5, 6-0 to Davis in the semifinals. Cannon County's Autumn King lost to Chattanooga Christian's Bailey Dishman 6-0, 6-1 in the girls singles semifinals.

Merrol Hyde's Lauren Heinrich defeated Dishman 7-6 (7-5), 6-1 in the singles final.

Reach Tom Kreager at 615-278-5168 or on Twitter @Kreager.