Shelly Azar returns a shot during the first day of the GRPA District III tournament held at the Lynda Baxter Moseley Tennis Complex.

MOULTRIE — The Georgia Recreation and Park Association’s District III tennis tournament started Monday with high hopes for a sunshiney day.

Matches began at 8:30 a.m. at the Lynda Baxter Moseley Tennis Complex and 16 were completed before storms with lightning came about 2 p.m.

The rest of the day’s matches were postponed and rescheduled for 9 a.m. Tuesday.

Three divisions were completed on Monday with Moultrie’s Jacob Icard and Ava McCranie winning their singles divisions.

Camilla’s Brooks Tucker had Monday’s other championship.

In 18 boys singles, Icard won his first-round match over Camilla’s Jacob Workman, 6-0, 6-0.

Icard claimed the title with a 6-1, 6-1 victory in the finals over Camilla’s Taylen Harris, who had a received a first-round bye.

In the 16 boys finals, Tucker won over Colquitt County’s Mark Breedlove 6-0, 6-1.

Colquitt County’s Odessa Dixon won her first round match over Camilla’s Alyssa Howell, 6-2, 6-2 in 16 girls singles.

Camilla’s Hannah Glass won over Laney Williams, also of Camilla, 6-4, 6-0, in another first-round match.

In first-round 14 boys singles matches, Colquitt County’s Parker Anderson won over Frederick Lanier of Camilla, 6-3, 7-6; Jack Taunton of Colquitt County defeated Camilla’s Andrew Ward 6-2, 6-2; and Colquitt County’s Bailee Fountain won over Camilla’s Lee Williamson 6-4, 6-1.

In second-round matches, Taunton won over Anderson 6-1, 6-0, and Colquitt County’s Wesley Montgomery defeated Fountain 6-4, 6-1.

Colquitt County’s Shelly Azar won her 18 girls singles match over Camilla’s Mary Simmons 6-0, 6-0.

In the finals, McCranie defeated Azar 6-1, 6-1.

In one all-Colquitt County 14 girls singles match, Emily Lampman won over Arlin Smith 6-0, 6-0.

In the other first-round match, Colquitt County’s Ada Craft won over Albany’s Shivani Yadavalli, 6-0, 6-0.

In 10 girls and boys singles, Jackson Lasseter and Scarlett Allegood, both of Colquitt County, played a practice match as they had no competition and received a medal.

In 12 boys and girls singles, Harrison Lampman and Julia Costin also played a practice match.

The top four finalists in each age group will qualify for the GRPA State Tournament to be held July 20-22 also in Moultrie at both the Lynda Baxter Moseley Tennis Complex and at the Packer Park courts.