Taft Reaches Tennis Finals With Win Over University

Victories in all four singles matches carried Taft High to a 4-3 victory over University in the semifinals of the City Section team tennis playoffs Monday at the Racquet Centre in Studio City.

Taft will play Palisades, a 7-0 winner over Granada Hills, in Thursday’s final.

Julia Feldman, Taft’s No. 1 singles player, led the way by defeating Lauren Hymes, 6-0, 6-0. Ravid Levy, Alicia Whelan and Marissa Parker also recorded singles victories for the Toreadors.

University won all three doubles matches.

No. 1 singles player Lindsay Alpert led Palisades with a 6-0, 6-0 victory over Nicole Fryman.

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Former super-bantamweight champion Rudy Zavala will meet Adolfo Castillo in the 10-round main event of a six-bout boxing card Nov. 23 at the Warner Center Marriott.

Zavala (23-4-2, with 19 victories by knockout) needs a victory to retain his WBC Continental Americas featherweight title and maintain his place as a challenger to WBC champion Kevin Kelly. Castillo, from Tamulitas, Mexico, has a record of 19-12-1, with 11 victories by knockout.

In the co-main event, Rocky Pepeli, a local favorite, meets Craig Brinson of Duarte in a heavyweight bout scheduled for eight rounds. Pepeli (18-8-1, 16 KOs) lives in Simi Valley and trains in Palmdale. Brinson (3-3-2, two KOs) recently fought John Bray to a draw in a nationally televised bout.

In the undercard fights, Fili Castro (9-0, eight KOs) faces Yoani Cervantes (4-5, two KOs) in a six-round welterweight bout; Kenny Ellis (8-0-1, five KOs) meets an opponent to be announced in a six-round junior middleweight bout; Santiago Negro Franco (4-3, three KOs) faces Don Goodwin (1-3, one KO) of Canoga Park in a four-round super-welterweight bout; and Paul Mayorquinn (4-0-1, one KO) meets Regino Marquez (1-4) in a four-round junior lightweight bout.

First bell is at 7:30 p.m. in the hotel’s Grand Ballroom.