High school tennis: Timpview sophomore scores upset

RANCHO, MIRAGE, Calif. — Unseeded John Pearce, a sophomore at Provo's Timpview High School, upset No. 2 seeded Mackenzie McDonald of Piedmont, Calif. in the second round of the 43rd annual Easter Bowl Spring National Championships on Tuesday at the Rancho Las Palmas Resort in Rancho Mirage, Calif., 3-6, 7-6 (3), 6-2

Pearce's dad, former ATP touring pro Brad Pearce, won the Easter Bowl in 1984, beating Jay Berger and Patrick McEnroe for the win in one on the nation's most prestigious junior tennis events.

"It's my best win, by far," said Pearce, who beat Lestter Yeh of Arcadia, Calif. in the first round. "He won a couple of big points in that first set but it was close the whole way."

Pearce, whose father is the head men's coach at BYU, next meets of Corey Robinson of Philadelphia Wednesday at 12:45 p.m. He said he phoned his dad between the second and third sets and gained some valuable inspiration heading in the the third set.

McDonald, who won the Boys' 14s at last year's Easter Bowl, is considered one of the nation's top juniors and currently trains at the USTA National Training Center in Boca Raton, Fla.