MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – The Milwaukee women's tennis team wrapped up its first weekend of fall competition Sunday at the 13^th annual Gopher Invitational, hosted by the University of Minnesota at Baseline Tennis Center.
 
"I am so excited about how the ladies started off the season," head coach Mark Goldin said. "We are playing some great tennis, everyone is competing hard, and the support from the teammates has been amazing."
 
Over the course of the three-day event, each day consisted of two rounds of doubles, followed by two-out-of-three singles play. The Panthers finished the weekend with a 10-5 record in doubles and 10-7 ledger in singles. Teams competing included the host Gophers, Northern Iowa, Marquette, St. Thomas, South Dakota, and North Dakota.
 
"I feel confident going into next weekend's Horizon League Individual Championships," Goldin said. "We are looking forward to a solid week of recovery and preparation and can't wait to get back on the road to Ohio."
 
In singles, newcomer Nel Van Hout led the way at a perfect 3-0. She handled each of her opponents from Friday through Sunday, defeating Aiyana Abott (Marquette) 6-7 (5-7), 6-1, 12-10 Friday, Ingrid Forsberg (St. Thomas) 6-3, 3-6, 10-3, Saturday, and Anna Sidorenko (St. Thomas) 6-1, 6-7 (5-7), 10-6, on Sunday.
 
Nadiia Konieva started the weekend strong, blanking St. Thomas' Else Vander Stichele Friday by a score of 6-0, 6-0. She then handled UNI's Kanyanut Sudsaard by a final score of 6-2, 6-2 Saturday before dropping her final singles match of the weekend Sunday.
 
Emilia Durska also got off to a strong 2-1 start, recording wins against Northern Iowa and Minnesota Saturday and Sunday, falling only on Friday to South Dakota's Selena Bird in a back-and-forth battle, 6-3, 3-6, 10-6.
 
In doubles action, Goldin changed up the lineups each day. Van Hout led the charge with a 4-1 resume, teaming up with both Sara Simonova and Nikola Nikolajeva for unblemished 2-0 marks each. The team finished on a high note, winning all three matches Sunday.
 
Nikolajeva added two more wins, teaming up with Svava Schroeder to defeat Northern Iowa, 6-3, as well as with Emilia Durska to take down a different UNI squad, 6-4. Honoka Yamashita also had a good weekend in doubles, finishing 2-1.
 
Up next, the team heads to Mason, Ohio, this upcoming weekend to compete in the Horizon League Individual Championships, held at the Lindner Family Tennis Center from Friday through Sunday (Sept. 26-28).
 
Gopher Invitational
Singles Results
Friday
Nadiia Konieva (Milwaukee) def. Else Vander Stichele (St. Thomas) 6-0, 6-0
Elise Barnstedt (Marquette) def. Nikola Nikolajeva (Milwaukee) 3-6, 6-4, 10-6
Nel Van Hout (Milwaukee) def. Aiyana Abott (Marquette) 6-7 (5-7), 6-1, 12-10
Selena Bird (South Dakota) def. Emilia Durska (Milwaukee) 6-3, 3-6, 10-6
Luciana Mendoza (Marquette) def. Svava Schroeder (Milwaukee) 6-3, 6-4
Honoka Yamashita (Milwaukee) def. Meeky, Alyssa (Northern Iowa) 6-0, 6-0
 
Saturday
Nadiia Konieva (Milwaukee) def. Kanyanut Sudsaard (Northern Iowa) 6-2, 6-2
Nikola Nikolajeva (Milwaukee) def. Raznatovic, Andjela (Northern Iowa) 6-1, 4-1, retired
Emilia Durska (Milwaukee) def. Li, Yangjiaxin (Northern Iowa) 6-1, 6-2
Elana Duva (Marquette) def. Honoka Yamashita (Milwaukee) 6-1, 6-0
Nel Van Hout (Milwaukee) def. Ingrid Forsberg (St. Thomas) 6-3, 3-6, 10-3
Sara Simonova (Milwaukee) def. Anna Bjornestad (St. Thomas) 2-6, 6-4, 10-8
 
Sunday
Nel Van Hout (Milwaukee) def. Anna Sidorenko (St. Thomas) 6-1, 6-7 (5-7), 10-6
Veronica Barber (St. Thomas) def. Honoka Yamashita (Milwaukee) 6-1, 6-0
Emma Davis (Marquette) def. Nadiia Konieva (Milwaukee) 6-1, 6-3
Sofia Pinto (Minnesota) def. Nikola Nikolajeva (Milwaukee) 6-1, 6-1
Emilia Durska (Milwaukee) def. Yinong Ma (Minnesota) 6-3, retired
 
Doubles Results
Friday
Anna Medvyedyeva/NataliaAlvesDeLima (South Dakota) def. Emilia Durska/Nadiia Konieva (Milwaukee) 6-1
Nel Van Hout/Sara Simonova (Milwaukee) def. Aiyana Abott/Luciana Mendoza (Marquette) 6-4
Nikola Nikolajeva/Svava Schroeder (Milwaukee) def. Mylavarapu, Lasya/Begic, Sedina (Northern Iowa) 6-3
Alize Yarwood/Emilia Korseth (St. Thomas) def. Emilia Durska/Nadiia Konieva (Milwaukee) 6-4
Nel Van Hout/Sara Simonova (Milwaukee) def. Kayleigh Didderiens/Keta Shavishvili (South Dakota) 6-1
Caroline Lindahl/Anna Sidorenko (St. Thomas) def. Svava Schroeder/Nikola Nikolajeva (Milwaukee) 6-1
 
Saturday
Nel Van Hout/Nikola Nikolajeva (Milwaukee) def. Li, Yangjiaxin/Raznatovic, Andjela (Northern Iowa) 6-4
Lily Olson/Ingrid Forsberg (St. Thomas) def. Nikola Nikolajeva/Emilia Durska (Milwaukee) 6-2
Sara Simonova/Honoka Yamashita (Milwaukee) def. Maria Poon/Elana Duva (Marquette) 6-3
Yinong Ma/Nora Knezevic (Minnesota) def. Nel Van Hout/Nadiia Konieva (Milwaukee) 7-5
Nikola Nikolajeva/Emilia Durska (Milwaukee) def. Peterson, Abbie/Kanyanut Sudsaard (Northern Iowa) 6-4
Andrea Pineda/Alva Norberg (North Dakota) def. Sara Simonova/Honoka Yamashita (Milwaukee) 6-0
 
Sunday
Sara Simonova/Nadiia Konieva (Milwaukee) def. Else Vander Stichele/Peterson, Abbie (St. Thomas) 6-1
Nel Van Hout/Nikola Nikolajeva (Milwaukee) def. Alize Yarwood/Else Vander Stichele (St. Thomas) 6-4
Honoka Yamashita/Emilia Durska (Milwaukee) def. Anna Sidorenko/Anna Bjornestad (St. Thomas) 6-3
 
Doubles Records
Nel Van Hout/Sara Simonova 2-0     Nikola Nikolajeva/Svava Schroeder 1-1
Emilia Durska/Nadiia Konieva 0-2     Nel Van Hout/Nikola Nikolajeva 2-0
Nikola Nikolajeva/Emilia Durska 1-1     Sara Simonova/Honoka Yamashita 1-1
Nel Van Hout/Nadiia Konieva 0-1     Sara Simonova/Nadiia Konieva 1-0
Honoka Yamashita/Emilia Durska 1-0
 
Singles Records
Nel Van Hout 3-0 
Nadiia Konieva 2-1                      
Emilia Durska 2-1
Sara Simonova 1-0
Honoka Yamashita 1-2              
Nikola Nikolajeva 1-2
Svava Schroeder 0-1