Fakas Falls at BJKNTC Junior Tennis Classic Championships

Rebecca Fakas of Little Neck was riding high after a strong high school tennis season this spring, but wasn’t able to keep the momentum going Saturday afternoon.

Competing in the first round of the Girls 16-and-under division at the BJKNTC Junior Tennis Classic Championships in Flushing, Fakas found herself struggling with the strong play of her opponent, mistiming several groundstrokes on her way to a 6-0, 6-2 loss against Eva Siskova of Cornwall.

“It just felt like I was off my game and struggling with my timing out there,” said Fakas, who is about to be a sophomore at Benjamin Cardozo High School. “Towards the end of the match, I just started rushing the net because my original game plan wasn’t working and I had to try something different.”

Tennis has become a way off life in recent years for Fakas. Introduced to the sport at the age of 7, she quickly developed a love for the game and began competing in local tournaments just a couple of years later.

These days, she trains a few days per week at Randall’s Island Tennis Academy, run by legendary tennis icon John McEnroe. Working exclusively with coach Marvin Dent, the pair have been working on a number of on-court elements that will help take her game to the next level.

“We’ve been working a lot on my backhand, but match play has also been a really big focus as well,” said Fakas. “The coaches at Randall’s Island just try to get you prepared for every single scenario you might face out there.”

The hard work on and off the court has been paying dividends in recent months. Fakas played an instrumental role in the Girls Varsity tennis team at Benjamin Cardozo High School this past season. Competing in the No. 2 singles slot, she helped lead the team to first place Public School Athletic League Championships, as well as a second place showing at the Mayor’s Cup.

While many elite junior level players shun high school tennis, Fakas said she has seen the benefits of participating in it.

“It’s not the same level as a tournament like this in some cases, but you see a lot of the players in tournaments like this who are also playing for their high school team,” said Fakas. “Once you get into the major state championships, you’re getting a lot of quality matches.”