NAIROBI, Kenya, June 10 – African Games champion Angella Okutoyi remains unbowed yet unworried about her quest for a place at this summer’s Olympics in Paris.
Okutoyi admits qualifying for the games has been central in her mind although she has temporarily relegated it to the backburner as she focuses on the ongoing Billie Jean King Cup in Nairobi.
““It’s still on my mind…I don’t know if I am going to play or not. For now I am just focusing on the Billie Jean King Cup. I just want to have one mind and to help my country to do well,” the 2022 Wimbledon Open doubles junior champion said.
Ever since she became Kenya’s second-ever African Games gold medalist in March, Okutoyi has been a busy lady on the court — featuring in a series of competition to boost her rankings for the Olympics.
She has thus far competed in six International Tennis Federation (ITF) tournaments, with the latest being last week’s ITF Tunisia 37A where she exited the round of 32 at the hands of Russian Daria Kudashova (4-6, 6-4, 2-6).
Her Olympics dream notwithstanding, the Auburn University student says the recent spate of competition has made her a better player.
“I feel like playing a lot of matches really helps because I am playing different opponents and different game styles. I am trying to improve my game as well and having more matches is quite good. It’s like school so if you study and do no exam so there’s no point so I am trying to play many matches. It has really benefited me,” Okutoyi said.
‘In scintillating form’
She was in her characteristic swagger as she swat aside Mauritius Tejaswini Jessoo in her first match at the Billie Jean King Cup at the Nairobi Club on Monday afternoon.
Okutoyi won 6-0 6-0 to set the home side to a 3-0 walloping of the islanders.
She said the gameplan was to be aggressive from the get-go.
“It was a nice match…I just planned to go out there and be aggressive from the start. I just wanted to be on top of the game and I feel like it worked well,” she said.
Her opponent admitted she had been outwitted and outplayed in what was her debut in the competition.
“It went really quick…she played really well. It was my first time playing against her so maybe next time I can do well. I need to work on my physicality because she hits the ball really well and it was a challenge to move my legs quickly,” the 17-year-old said.
Jessoo is nonetheless looking forward to enjoying the experience of playing in the continental competition.
“I am looking forward to improving on my game and playing better. I am looking forward to playing against more opponents and just enjoying the stay here in Kenya,” she said.
The islanders face eighth seed Burundi on Tuesday as Kenya meet Tunisia on the same day.
