Brentwood School's TJ Pura Upset at Easter Bowl Tennis Tourney

In tennis, being the No. 1 seed is a double-edged sword. It is a measure of respect for your game, but it also means "extra" pressure because you are expected to win.

TJ Pura of had relished the role as the favorite in this week's Easter Bowl USTA Junior Spring National Championships in Rancho Mirage, but on Thursday the Eagles' No. 1 player and the No. 1 seed in the tournament was upset by No. 11 Spencer Papa of Edmond, Oklahoma, 7-6 (6), 6-4, in the fourth round of the boys 16s singles division.

It was Pura's second straight loss to Papa, who had beaten him in the second round of the U.S. Clay Court Championships last year. This time, Papa's big serve proved the difference as he took a 7-6 lead in the first-set tiebreaker on Pura's backhand error, then closed it out on his serve. 

Pura is the reigning USTA Winter Nationals champion. In the first three rounds of the Easter Bowl the 16-year-old had eliminated Maxwell Macey of Weston, Connecticut, 6-0, 6-1; A.J. Catanzariti of Pittsburgh, 6-4, 6-2; and Yannik Mahlangu of Henderson, Nevada, 1-6, 6-0, 6-4.

Pura, who attends Brentwood but lives in nearby Pacific Palisades, reached the semifinals of the USTA Regional 18s singles in Palm Valley in January and the semifinals of the USTA National Open 18s singles in Palm Desert in February.

Last week, Pura made the round of 16 in the 18s draw at the Grade 1 USTA Spring International Championships in Carson. 

Despite being upset in singles, Pura is still alive in doubles, where he and his partner Trey Daniel of Leakwood, Kansas, are seeded No. 2 in the 16s division. The pair defeated seventh-seeded Robbie Bellamy of Pacific Palisades and Gage Brymer of Irvine, 6-1, 7-5, in the quarterfinals.

Last week, Bellamy and another partner, Gregory Garcia of Poway, upset top-seeded Papa and Joseph Di Giulio of Newport Beach, 6-4, 6-7 (4), 11-9 in the finals of the 16s division at Carson.

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