From Conrad Weiser Tennis Association
Conrad Weiser Hits for Hope Tennis Tournament
The record-setting Conrad Weiser Hits for Hope Tennis Tournament continues as the largest tennis tournament in PA with 295 players in 35 different draws of all ages and ability levels signed up to play June 9-15 in the 14th edition of the third largest tennis tournament on the East Coast of the United States that will benefit Faith Care, which is headquartered in Reading.
As one of the crown jewel tennis events in all of the northeast part of the United States, Hits for Hope will kick off in the evening of Monday, June 9, and play straight through Sunday, June 15, at the Conrad Weiser Tennis Facility, which is the 2023 USTA National Educational Facility of the Year. Hits for Hope Tennis Tournament will run from Tuesday, June 10, through Sunday, June 15, from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. The Tournament has averaged between 268-315 players each year for the last 13 years and has raised more than $70,000 in proceeds for 13 different charities since 2011.
Top players from various age groups will headline Hits for Hope in 2025.
- Andre Fick, six-time Hits for Hope men’s singles champion, 2014 PIAA state champion, and D-1 player at St. Joseph’s, will headline the 54-player men’s singles field filled with many division 1, 2, and 3 players, top juniors, and players from multiple states.
- State Champions Armaan Malik and Jio Garcia from Conrad Weiser will headline a number of junior brackets.
- Parth Kharchane, a freshman district 3 singles champion from Wyomissing, will headline.
- Nationally ranked Anthony Kircher from New Providence, PA, who won the boys 18s singles championship as an 11-year-old three years ago, will be back as the top seed in the boys 18s singles.
- Mia Gassert from Hamburg, the Berks County singles champion, will partner with Berks singles finalist Jin Lin Chen from Wilson in the 18s doubles.
- Emma Perkins and Alex Pancu, 2020 PIAA state singles champions from Conrad Weiser, are also entered in a number of adult draws, including being the top seeds #1 and #2 in doubles: Perkins with Mount St. Mary’s teammate Amare O’Brien and Pancu with Albright College teammate Alison Horick.
Berks County Tennis Association Night of Champions
In addition to the tennis throughout the week, the marquee evening for coverage is at Hits for Hope Night of Champions on Saturday, June 14, at 7:30 p.m., and will include a donation to Faithcare as part of the Gala & Awards at the ceremony. The ceremony will also include the Merv Heller Memorial Scholarship and the BCTA Berks County Tennis Hall of Fame induction in addition to marquee night matches.
The Berks County Tennis Association announced the honorees for the BCTA Night of Champions Gala/Awards The announcement includes the Berks County Tennis Hall of Fame Class of 2025, which includes former Schuylkill Valley and Millersville standout and former Wilson tennis coach Ryan Cuevas, who led Schuylkill Valley to Berks County and District Team Championships in 1999. The second inductee is Susan Pollack-Esposito, who was a PIAA Singles AA finalist at Wyomissing and a key player on 3 PIAA state team championship-winning teams and was a standout in the University of Delaware Women’s Tennis Program.
The BCTA will also honor its recipients for the BCTA Merv Heller Memorial Scholarship, honoring the former USTA National President from Wyomissing Merv Heller. The 2025 recipients are Conrad Weiser standout Armaan Malik and Antietam’s Katie McClain. The BCTA Berks High School players of the year will also be honored with Mia Gassert from Hamburg winning the award, and PIAA State Singles AAA Champion Chase Gerloff from Daniel Boone winning for the boys.
Twin Valley head coach Joe Alessandrini will win the BCTA Berks County Community Aces award for his work and dedication to the sport of tennis at Twin Valley, Alvernia University, and with the Ellesse Pro Tennis Challenge pro event each August in Wyomissing.
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