Pisarek Advances to Quarters at BJKNTC Junior Tennis Classic Championships

Competing in his final tournament of the summer, junior tennis player Michael Pisarek of Forest Hills has every intention on finishing on a strong note.

Playing in the first round of the BJKNTC Junior Tennis Classic Championships in Flushing, Pisarek was given a strong test in his third round match of the Boys-14-and-under division against Garrett Malave of Laurel. Raskopf had two opportunities to serve out the second set, but some strong defensive play from Pisarek erased both of those chances as he moved into the quarterfinals with a 6-3, 7-6 win.

“The second set was closer mainly because of the mistakes that I was making out there,” said Pisarek, who will be an incoming freshman at Hunter College High School. “As my level dropped, his began to pick up a lot more.”

In the second set tiebreaker, a pair of well-timed backhand drop shots sent Pisarek up 5-2 on his way to victory, but he said that was the shot which let him down most throughout the match.

“I had to start slicing it because I couldn’t get my backhand in using two hands,” said Pisarek. “I thought my forehand was good in patches, but my serve was what bailed me out a lot of the time.”

Pisarek’s serve has been perfected throughout the summer at the USTA National Tennis Center, where the tournament this weekend also took place and which is home to the US Open every summer. Prior to that, he mainly practiced at the West Side Tennis Club.

Training four days per week with coach Marvin Dent, the pair have been working on a number of on-court elements to help take Pisarek’s game to the next level.

“My backhand is the shot that will tend to break down in matches, so that’s the one area we’ve been working on a lot,” said Pisarek. “Beyond that, we spend a little bit of time on each shot in every practice and try to perfect it as much as possible.”

Pisarek said he hopes to ultimately turn pro one day, which makes the experience of competing on the same courts of the US Open even more beneficial.

“These are kind of like my home courts now after this summer,” said Pisarek. “I love playing on them. Any chance I get to be out here is an amazing experience for me.”

The finals of the BJKNTC Junior Tennis Classic Championships are scheduled for Monday afternoon. To follow Pisarek’s progress throughout the event, visit the tournament drawsheet.