Gayton-Leach, Di Giulio sparkle

Corona del Mar resident Cierra Gaytan-Leach and Newport Coast

resident Joseph Di Giulio won their respective quarterfinal matches

Wednesday to advance to today’s semifinals in the 102nd Southern

California Tennis Association junior sectional championships at the

Los Caballeros Tennis Village in Fountain Valley.

Gaytan-Leach, who is unseeded, will be facing No. 2-seed Kaitlyn

Christian of Orange today at 1:15 p.m. in a semifinal of the girls

12s singles. She defeated Melissa Matsuoka of Newport Beach, 7-6,

6-7, 6-2, in a quarterfinal.

Gaytan-Leach rallied for a 3-6, 6-3, 6-0 victory over Sarah Blair

in the 12s singles final of the Laguna Niguel junior open tennis

tournament, completed June 19 at the Laguna Niguel Racquet Club.

Gaytan-Leach, who will be an eighth-grader at Corona del Mar

Junior High in the fall, also teamed with 13-year-old Catherine Isip

to advance to the 16s doubles final, but lost in straight sets.

Di Giulio, the No. 2 seed, will be playing against fourth-seeded

Roger Hernandez of Orange today at 1:30 p.m. in a semifinal of the

boys 10s singles. Di Giulio defeated Davild Blakeley of Irvine, 6-0,

6-1, in a quarterfinal.