SOUTHERN SECTION TENNIS PLAYOFFS ROUNDUP : Laguna Beach Slips Past Sunny Hills by Two-Game Margin

Although each team won nine sets, Laguna Beach advanced by edging third-seeded Sunny Hills, 80-78, in games during a Division 3-A boys’ tennis quarterfinal Tuesday at Laguna Beach.

The Artists (16-7) play second-seeded Esperanza, an 11-7 winner over North Torrance, Thursday in the semifinals.

Laguna Beach received key victories from No. 2 singles Bobby Nichols, who upset Sunny Hills’ No. 1 singles, Dave Robbins, 6-2, and Julian Zajfen, who rallied from a 2-4 deficit to win the final set of the match, 6-2.

Sunny Hills finishes 18-4.

In other 3-A matches:

Esperanza 11, North Torrance 7--Sharif Elbayoumy and Alex Valle swept at No. 2 doubles, 6-4, 7-5, 6-2, for second-seeded Esperanza (21-0). Visiting North Torrance finishes 19-2.

San Marino 15, Trabuco Hills 3--Reid Slattery and Rich Yung swept at Nos. 1 and 2 singles for host top-seeded San Marino (19-4). The Mustangs (19-4), who made the playoffs for the first time in school history, also set a Trabuco Hills record for victories in a single season.