The University of Minnesota women’s tennis team returns to action this weekend as the Golden Gophers travel to Ann Arbor, Mich., to compete in the 2007 Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Midwest Women's Regional Championships Thursday through Tuesday (Oct. 18-23).

The six-day event hosted by the University of Michigan will feature a 64-player singles qualifying draw, which begins on Thursday (Oct. 18). Those 64 players will be competing for eight spots into the main draw, which begins on Saturday (Oct. 20). The 64-team doubles main draw begins on Friday (Oct. 19).

As many as six Gophers could compete in the singles main draw. Minnesota automatically qualified three players freshman Alessandra Ferrazzi, junior Karina Chiarelli and sophomore Tijana Koprivica based upon regional rankings and could add up to three more through qualifying.

Ferrazzi is 10-2 so far this season and brings the Gophers’ top singles record into the tournament, followed by Chiarelli and Koprivica, who are both 8-4 this year.

Senior Danielle Mousseau, 6-4 this season, and junior Mariana Spilca, 3-8, will look to advance to the main draw through the qualifying singles bracket beginning Thursday, while sophomore Jackie Sperling, who is currently listed as an alternate with a 7-4 singles record, may also be included in the field.

In doubles, Minnesota will be represented by three teams in the main draw. Chiarelli and Ferrazzai, who are 9-2 so far this fall, headline the list. Mosseau and Spilca, 4-5 on the season, and Koprivica and Ronni Seaton, 1-2 so far this year, will also compete in the main draw.