University of Minnesota Athletics
Friday, September 19
Minneapolis, MN
9:00 AM
University of Minnesota
vs
Gopher Invitational
Players Mentioned
Photo by: Claudia Staut
Minnesota Wraps Up at Gopher Invitational and ITA All-American Championships
9/21/2025 1:47:00 PM | Tennis
MINNEAPOLIS - The University of Minnesota tennis team split action at the the Gopher Invitational, held at Baseline Tennis Center, and ITA All-American Championships, in Cary, N.C. Minnesota had three compete in the home event, while Mia Liepert competed at the ITA's.
Quote from Coach Arterberry
"I'm really pleased with the way the team competed this weekend," head coach Lois Arterberry said. "We made a lot of progress compared to previous years and came out confident, especially with the advantage of playing at home. Nora had a strong performance after battling adversity last season, and Sofia really stepped up in her role as a senior by going 3-0 in singles and 2-0 in doubles. She showed the underclassmen what it takes to compete at this level, and I'm proud of her for that."
"Overall, both groups represented well with some athletes at the Gopher Invitational and others at the ITA All-American Championships for the first time in nearly a decade. It was exciting to see them compete on the national stage and earn a win. We're excited about how we started the year and look forward to building momentum at the Milwaukee Classic this weekend and the Iowa State Invite next weekend."
Gopher Invitational Results
The University of Minnesota tennis team wrapped up the 13th annual Gopher Invitational on Sunday, going 1-0 in doubles and 3-0 in singles.
In doubles, Nora Knezevic and Yinong Ma defeated Drake's Maja Dodik and Shiori Takeda 6-3. Minnesota finished the weekend 6-1 in doubles, led by Knezevic, who went 5-0.
Ma opened singles play with a 3-6 retirement loss against Milwaukee's Emilia Durska. Sofia Pinto followed with a dominant 6-1, 6-1 win over Milwaukee's Nadiia Konieva, and Knezevic closed the event with a 6-2, 6-4 victory against Northern Iowa's Yangjiaxin Li.
The Gophers finished the invitational 7-2 in singles, led by Pinto, who went 3-0 on the weekend.
Breakdown of Results
Doubles
Nora Knezevic/Yinong MA
Def. Maja Dodik and Shiori Takeda (Drake) 6-3.
Singles
Yinong Ma
Lost to Emilia Durska (Milwaukee) 3-6, RET.
Sofia Pinto
Def. Nadiia Konieva (Milwaukee) 6-1, 6-1.
Nora Knezevic
Def. Yangjiaxin Li (Northern Iowa) 6-2, 6-4.
ITA All-American Championships
Mia Liepert competed in a consolation round at the ITA All-American Championships on Sunday in Cary, N.C. She defeated UCLA's Bianca Fernandez 7-6 (10-8), 6-2 in her lone match of the day.
Liepert became the first Gopher to record a win at the ITA All-American Championships since Caroline Ryba in 2015.
Breakdown of Results
Singles
Mia Liepert
Def. Bianca Fernandez (UCLA) 7-6 (10-8), 6-2
Up Next
Following the Gopher Invitational and ITA All-American Championships, select Gophers qualified for the Milwaukee Tennis Classic taking place from Sept. 25-28.
Quote from Coach Arterberry
"I'm really pleased with the way the team competed this weekend," head coach Lois Arterberry said. "We made a lot of progress compared to previous years and came out confident, especially with the advantage of playing at home. Nora had a strong performance after battling adversity last season, and Sofia really stepped up in her role as a senior by going 3-0 in singles and 2-0 in doubles. She showed the underclassmen what it takes to compete at this level, and I'm proud of her for that."
"Overall, both groups represented well with some athletes at the Gopher Invitational and others at the ITA All-American Championships for the first time in nearly a decade. It was exciting to see them compete on the national stage and earn a win. We're excited about how we started the year and look forward to building momentum at the Milwaukee Classic this weekend and the Iowa State Invite next weekend."
Gopher Invitational Results
The University of Minnesota tennis team wrapped up the 13th annual Gopher Invitational on Sunday, going 1-0 in doubles and 3-0 in singles.
In doubles, Nora Knezevic and Yinong Ma defeated Drake's Maja Dodik and Shiori Takeda 6-3. Minnesota finished the weekend 6-1 in doubles, led by Knezevic, who went 5-0.
Ma opened singles play with a 3-6 retirement loss against Milwaukee's Emilia Durska. Sofia Pinto followed with a dominant 6-1, 6-1 win over Milwaukee's Nadiia Konieva, and Knezevic closed the event with a 6-2, 6-4 victory against Northern Iowa's Yangjiaxin Li.
The Gophers finished the invitational 7-2 in singles, led by Pinto, who went 3-0 on the weekend.
Breakdown of Results
Doubles
Nora Knezevic/Yinong MA
Def. Maja Dodik and Shiori Takeda (Drake) 6-3.
Singles
Yinong Ma
Lost to Emilia Durska (Milwaukee) 3-6, RET.
Sofia Pinto
Def. Nadiia Konieva (Milwaukee) 6-1, 6-1.
Nora Knezevic
Def. Yangjiaxin Li (Northern Iowa) 6-2, 6-4.
ITA All-American Championships
Mia Liepert competed in a consolation round at the ITA All-American Championships on Sunday in Cary, N.C. She defeated UCLA's Bianca Fernandez 7-6 (10-8), 6-2 in her lone match of the day.
Liepert became the first Gopher to record a win at the ITA All-American Championships since Caroline Ryba in 2015.
Breakdown of Results
Singles
Mia Liepert
Def. Bianca Fernandez (UCLA) 7-6 (10-8), 6-2
Up Next
Following the Gopher Invitational and ITA All-American Championships, select Gophers qualified for the Milwaukee Tennis Classic taking place from Sept. 25-28.
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