Former champ at home in Mercer Tennis Classic

          Sophie Day knows what it’s like to play fall tennis in Macon.

          And it apparently agrees with her.

          Day advanced Thursday with a straight set win in the Mercer Tennis Classic at the Leroy Peddy Tennis Center.

          Day won this tournament in 2016, and is a step closer to adding to the resume.

          “I love this tournament, and love the courts here,” Day said, in a release, after her 6-4, 6-4 victory on Thursday over fellow American Lauren Davis. “It’s even the people here. They make you feel so welcome and it’s just everything about the tournament.”

          Day even likes the courts.

“It plays the speed I like and the bounce, matches my game,” she said. “It (the ball) sits up well for my forehand and it even helps my serve.”

          Day should return to a ranking inside the top 300 soon. She’s currently at 302.

          Whitney Osuigwe, a former top-ranked junior, had her run stopped against experienced Varvara Lepchenko, 6-4, 6-0.

          Ex-Southern California standout Danielle Lao is on a path to the final with an impressive win over Louisa Chirico.

          Lao was sharp in the first set, and Chirico not. Chirico got better, but a few mistakes in the third set opened the door for Lao to take a 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 win.

          And qualifier Hailey Baptiste keeps on rolling.

          She won her fifth match, taking down Ann Li 6-4, 6-4. Up next for her is No. 159 Veronica Cepede Royg.

          No. 2 Jessica Pegula and No. 7 Marie Bouzkova remain alive, Bouzkova barely. She topped Sesil Karatantcheva 4-6, 6-4, 7-5.

          Pegula, who won 6-2, 6-0, and Bouzkova now play in a battle of top-160 players.

Thursday’s results

Varvara Lepchenko (USA)  def. Whitney Osuigwe (USA) 6-4 6-0

Kayla Day (USA) def. Lauren Davis (USA) 6-4 6-4

Jessica Pegula (USA) [2] def. Giuliana Olmos (MEX) 6-2 6-0

Hailey Baptiste (USA)  def. Ann Li (USA) 6-4 6-4

Danielle Lao (USA) def. Louisa Chirico (USA) 6-2 3-6 6-2

Allie Kiick (USA) def. Sophie Chang (USA) 6-2 6-2

Veronica Cepede Royg (PAR) def. Ulrikke Eikeri (NOR) 6-1 6-0

Marie Bouzkova (CZE) [7] def. Sesil Karatantcheva (BUL) 4-6 6-4 7-5

Anna Danilina (KAZ) / Ingrid Neel (USA) def. Lauren Davis (USA) / Christina MCHale (USA) [4] 6-7(3) 6-4 [10-5]

Caty MCNally (USA) / Jessica Pegula (USA)  def. Quinn Gleason (USA) / Luisa Stefani (BRA) 4-6 6-3 [10-1]

Alexa Guarachi (CHI) / Giuliana Olmos (MEX) [1] def. Sanaz Marand (USA) / Whitney Osuigwe (USA) 6-4 4-6 [13-11]

Beatrice Gumulya (INA) / Ana Veselinovic (MNE) def. Paula Cristina Goncalves (BRA) / Beatriz Haddad Maia (BRA) 6-2, 4-6 (10-6)