NAIROBI, Kenya, January 7, 2025 – African Games champion Angela Okutoyi will be in action in the International Tennis Federation (ITF) W35 Women’s World Tour at the Nairobi Club on Wednesday morning.
Okutoyi will be up against Switzerland’s Katerina Tsygourova in a round of 32 fixture.
Also in action will be fellow countrywoman Cynthia Wanjala, who takes on seventh seed Rinon Okuwaki of Japan, in the preceding encounter.
A win for Okutoyi will be the perfect start to atoning for last week’s loss to Joanna Garland of Chinese Taipei in the semis of the first round of the tournament.
The 2022 Wimbledon Open doubles junior champion lost 6-4 2-6 3-6 to the top seed, putting paid to her hopes for her first titles since winning the African crown in March last year in Accra, Ghana.
She warmed up for Wednesday’s duel with victory in the doubles, where she teamed up with Burundian Sada Nahimana on Tuesday.
The duo — top seeds in the category — made light work of Germany’s Sina Hermann and Lorena Schaedel by winning 6-1 6-3 in the first round.
Meanwhile, it was a bad day in the office for Wanjala, who paired up with India’s Priyanka Rodricks but lost 6-1 3-6 10-7 to another Indian duo — Sravaya Shivani and Vanshita Pathania — in the doubles.
Another Kenyan, Mary Wachira, teamed up with American Mia Edwards and lost 6-0 6-0 to France’s Alyssa Reguer and Tsygourova.
The Kenyan duo of Seline Ahoya and Stacy Yego also lost in their doubles match, going down 6-3 6-2 to India’s Priyanshi Bhandari and Laalitya Kalluri.
