Cup, sponsored by Mecco Financial Inc. and presented by the Hilton Garden Inn Allentown

West, July 6-13. The tournament’s move to a $50k tournament and status as the first women’s

pro hard court event after Wimbledon draws some of the top players in the world to the courts of

the Westend Racquet Club.

Varvara Lepchenko, winner of the Mecco Cup in 2005 and 2006, returns to her hometown

tournament in 2008 as the 143-ranked player in the world. Lepchenko burst onto the tennis

scene in 2004, reaching the Mecco Cup finals as an unseeded qualifier. She spent much of

2007 playing in tournaments across the globe, playing in all four Grand Slams for the first time

in her career. Joining Lepchenko in the field will be 2007 Mecco Cup champion Chanelle

Scheepers, looking to defend her title as the 168-ranked player in the world. The top-ranked

American in the draw is perennial Mecco Cup favorite Julie Ditty, the USTA Women’s Pro

Circuit’s all-time winningest player, who has played in the main draw of each Grand Slam thus

far in 2008. Ditty, currently ranked no. 98 in the world, is one of six players currently entered in

the tournament who will play in the singles main draw at Wimbledon leading up to the 2008

Mecco Cup.

The tournament committee is pleased to announce that Libby Muma has accepted a wild card

into the main draw. Muma, 14, is a rising young American player based out of the prestigious

Chris Evert Tennis Academy in Boca Raton, Florida. Originally hailing from Lincoln, Nebraska,

Muma looks to use the 2008 Mecco Cup as a career launching pad as she makes her initial

forays into the pro game.

Three players with local roots have accepted wild cards into the singles qualifying draw. Former

District XI champion Lindsay Gray, a Bethlehem, PA native and Liberty High school graduate,

returns to Westend after playing for the George Mason University varsity tennis team as a

freshman this past season. Joining her in the field will be Philadelphia, PA’s Xan Riley, who

made her Allentown debut as a main draw doubles wild card entrant in the 2007 Mecco Cup.

Lancaster County, PA native Lauren Zink returns to the Mecco Cup after earning a qualifying

wild card in 2006. As a collegiate player, Zink was a four-time All-American for William & Mary

following a stellar junior career highlighted by two District III singles titles and two PIAA state

championships.

The 2008 Mecco Cup begins with qualifying matches on Sunday, July 6, and runs through the

finals on Sunday, July 13. Play begins with feature matches each day at 10 AM. The main

draw features 32 professional singles players and 16 doubles teams. The qualifying tournament

includes an additional 32 world-class players. Admission is free through Friday, July 11.

Tickets for Championship Weekend – Saturday, July 12, and Sunday, July 13 – cost $7 per day,

though patrons may choose to donate tennis racquets in lieu of the admittance fee.

Additional Mecco Cup proceeds are donated to the KidsPeace Children’s Hospital. For children who have been through the worst

crises life can throw at them, the KidsPeace Children’s Hospital is a life-saving refuge. The hospital helps some 1,500 local kids

and teens each year who are suffering from traumas and emotional pain in their young lives. The only such hospital dedicated just

to children in a 75-mile radius, it provides young children, pre-adolescents, and teens a deeper level of care than they could receive

at home or in their communities.

The Mecco Cup will also donate proceeds to the Miracle League of the Lehigh Valley. From its home field at Jaindl Family Park in

Schecksville, Pennsylvania, the league allows special needs youth and young adults to participate in a baseball league of their very

own. Individuals with disabilities that prevent them from joining a mainstream baseball program are eligible to play. With its caring

network of parents, volunteers, and donors, Miracle League of the Lehigh Valley is dedicated to giving these special children a

chance to play ball in a safe and supportive environment

Mecco Financial Inc. has provided nearly $1 billion of financing for residential and commercial customers throughout the Northeast

for the past five years. Our attention to detail and ability to provide the right program for our clients have made us the “go-to” lender

in the area. Mecco Financial Inc. remains committed to many charities including: Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Lehigh Valley,

KidsPeace, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Walk For Life, and Burn Prevention Foundation. When service counts, Mecco Financial Inc.

is always the Ace!

With 95 tournaments throughout the country and prize money ranging from $10,000 to $100,000, the USTA Pro Circuit is the

pathway to the US Open and tour-level competition for aspiring tennis players and a frequent battleground for established

professionals. Last year 1,090 men and women from 74 countries competed on the USTA Pro Circuit for more than $3.2 million in

prize money and valuable ATP and WTA Tour ranking points. Maria Sharapova, Andy Roddick, James Blake, Justine Henin, Nicole

Vaidisova, Andrew Murray and David Nalbandian are among today’s top stars that began their careers on the USTA Pro Circuit.

For more information, please visit procircuit.usta.com.

-- ### --

For more information contact:

Jon Blitzer

Media Coordinator, 2008 Mecco Cup

e-mail: Mecco.Media@gmail.com

phone: 302.242.1288

www.USTA.com/procircuit

www.TheMeccoCup.com