Okutoyi storms quarter-finals in South Africa tourney
Angela Okutoyi plays a forehand shot to Nyangon Beverley of France during ITF World Tennis Tour at Nairobi Club on January 18, 2021.
What you need to know:
- This is after she chalked up her second consecutive win in the ongoing International Tennis Federation (ITF) World Tennis Tour Juniors tournament by beating Kazakhstan’s Zhanel Rustemova in straight sets at Coetzenburg Stadium, Stellenbosch University
- Okutoyi (158 in ITF Junior rankings) began her campaign with a 6-4, 6-2 win against South African Naledi Manyube (623) before registering a hard-earned 6-3, 6-4 victory over 392-ranked Rustemova
- Czech national Smejkalova occupies position 127 globally which is Okutoyi’s career-high ranking
Kenya’s top tennis girl Angela Okutoyi is through to the quarter-final stage at the J3 Stellenbosch tournament in South Africa on Tuesday.
This is after she chalked up her second consecutive win in the ongoing International Tennis Federation (ITF) World Tennis Tour Juniors tournament by beating Kazakhstan’s Zhanel Rustemova in straight sets at Coetzenburg Stadium, Stellenbosch University.
Okutoyi (158 in ITF Junior rankings) began her campaign with a 6-4, 6-2 win against South African Naledi Manyube (623) before registering a hard-earned 6-3, 6-4 victory over 392-ranked Rustemova.
The 2018 Kenya Open champion, who is seeded sixth, will face her real test in the quarter-final against fourth-seed Amelie Smejkalova on Wednesday.
Czech national Smejkalova occupies position 127 globally which is Okutoyi’s career-high ranking. Okutoyi reached 127th in the world after dominating two J4 Nairobi tournaments at Nairobi Club in January this year.
Smejkalova's career-high is 119th. She dismissed South Africans Line Greyling 6-4, 6-0 and Suzanie Pretorius 7-6, 6-3 in the first two rounds to book a date with Okutoyi. Greyling and Pretorius are ranked 872 and 284 respectively.
Okutoyi is competing in three tournaments in South Africa. These are J3 Stellenbosch (October 11-15), J2 Stellenbosch (October 18-22) and JA Cape Town (October 25-30).
