Basica Rallies to Win : USTA Title : Tennis: After losing first set and falling behind by two games in the third, the Rolling Hills Estates resident roars back for girls’ 16 championship.

SAN DIEGO â€”  The titles fit, but Amanda Basica isn’t sure she always wants to wear them.

Judging from the past, she is going to have find a way.

Ever since Basica was old enough to be ranked in the legions of girls playing tennis, the Rolling Hills Estates resident has been ranked No. 1 in her respective age group.

Consequently, she has consistently been the top-seeded player in whatever tournament she enters. This time it was the United States Tennis Assn. Girls’ 16 National Championships. True to her billing, Basica roared back from a two-game deficit in the third set for a 5-7, 6-1, 7-5 victory over unseeded Christina Moros in the championship match on Saturday.

“I’m just glad it’s over,� Basica said. “I don’t like being seeded No. 1. It’s like you’re supposed to win. It’s better if it’s an upset.�

Moros, of Sarasota, Fla., did her best to pull off the upset, but fell short when Basica started playing to her weaknesses.

“We have different weapons for different opponents,� said Mike Lanahan, Basica’s coach since she was 7.

Throughout the tournament, Moros’ weapons--a big serve and good shot selection--were working fine, and they were enough to win the first set against Basica.

But Basica’s patience finally won out.

After a lengthy first set, Basica took 25 minutes to win the second.

“I don’t know what happened,� Moros said. “I lost a little of my concentration, a little of my focus.�

In the final two sets, Basica forced Moros into errors by sending high, deep shots to her backhand and low cross-court shots to her forehand.

Moros had a 4-2 lead in the third set, but Basica fought back and won four of the next five games for the 6-5 lead. With Moros serving, Basica won the title on the first match point, forcing Moros to the net with a drop shot, then finishing off the point with a cross-court backhand that fell out of Moros’ reach.

“There was nothing I could do, she played great,� Moros said.

Said Basica: “I thought if I could hold serve, then break her, I’d still have a chance to win the set.�

Landers had little room to disagree. He has seen Basica win countless matches after falling behind and was equally confident she could do it again.

“She always plays better when she’s behind,� he said. “She likes to say that her finest shot is when she’s down, 2-5.�

Not everyone has such optimism. Becky, Amanda’s mother, saw her daughter lose a 5-1 lead to Moros in the third set the last time they played in a national championship--when both players were in competing in 12s. Landers said this victory avenged that loss.

“This was a revenge match, this was a long time in coming,� he said. “She had a lot of pressure in this match. We’ve been working a long time for this, because this title qualifies her for the Junior U.S. Open.�

But before the Open and her freshman year at Peninsula High begin this fall, Basica will continue on an international tour that earlier took her to Italy and France for a month. This week she leaves for the World Cup in Tokyo.

This is the second major 16s tournament title Basica has won this year. She won the Easter Bowl as a 13-year-old and made it to the final of the National Clay Courts, where she lost to Mylin Torres, who Moros eliminated earlier in the week.