Conrad Weiser sophomore Alexandra Pancu repeats as Berks County singles champion

SHILLINGTON>> Alexandra Pancu is the “hammer”.

The Conrad Weiser sophomore scored her second consecutive Berks County singles title Wednesday afternoon at the courts near Governor Mifflin High School with a 6-0, 6-2 win over Wyomissing senior Vittoria D’Addesi, who made it to her first county final in her last-round.

Pancu snuck up on the field a year ago as a Weiser freshman under veteran head tennis coach Ryan Knarr; she is still only 15 years old but hardly plays like it, exuding a self-assuredness on the court defying her years.

Knarr, who has overseen Weiser’s rise to regional scholastic tennis power, tagged his undefeated sophomore ace the “hammer”: Someone at the top spot who can anchor and even inspire a program.

“Confidence is such a big part of Alex’s game,” Knarr said. “When you go two seasons and dominate like she has at the county level, it’s certainly something that is paramount to her success, being able to bring your best.

“When everything’s clicking, she’s a hard player to beat. … She’s a special, generational talent.”

Any pressure Pancu might have felt with the bull’s eye now on her back did not translate onto the court. She wrapped the finals match in 70 minutes by featuring a heavy serve and an effective slice that D’Addesi simply could not counter.

Pancu captured the first 11 games before closing it out on-serve, after dropping a pair to Wyo’s No. 1 late in the match.

“I was just staying stable, waiting for her to make the mistake,” Pancu said. “Not forcing winners, just taking it if she offered short ball, playing it safe. I would go for an aggressive shot now and then, but mostly waited back.

“My slice seemed to be a weak spot for her and it’s a really simple shot for me,” Pancu said. “It’s one of the easier ones to pull off for me and the fact it was contradicting her game made it 10 times better.”

D’Addesi, who was also undefeated coming into the final, did not contest that assertion.

“She would hit a really good backhand slice to my forehand and I just couldn’t put enough topspin on it to bring it back,” D’Addesi said. “It was so low and I couldn’t get under it enough. I was trying to combat that, but I had never played anyone with that strategy before, so it was definitely hard for me to overcome.”

D’Addesi admitted to nerves before the final.

“First set, I wasn’t playing best my best. I was a little nervous because this was the first time I had made to a county final,” she admitted. “But you have to have fun with it, too. I had nothing to lose so I was just here to play my best and have fun.

“As much as I wanted to win, I didn’t want to be in my head, have a bad attitude throughout the match. I’d rather have realistic expectations and have fun with it, than unrealistic expectations and be disappointed.”

Pancu’s repeat victory gives the Scouts consecutive county champs in girls’ tennis, a fact not lost on program architect Knarr.

“We set out seven years ago, when we started the Conrad Weiser Tennis Association, a community tennis association, and we planted the seeds very young,” Knarr said. “Alex has been right there, since fourth grade. You plant those seeds, you invest the effort, the coaches and everybody, that will pay off. And now, you’re starting to see the fruits of that labor.

“We just don’t want to plant a seed or two, we want to build an orchard. We want to have players every year who can come right up. When we graduate players, they’ll be there to jump right in.”