Kenyan tennis sensation climbs in ITF Junior rankings
Kenya's Angella Okutoyi plays a forehand shot against Olga Mishenina of Russia during their ITF World Tennis Tour Juniors match held at Nairobi Club on January 21, 2021.
What you need to know:
- One of the targets Okutoyi has set for 2021 is to make the top 100 global list.
- She revealed this in an interview after bagging the J4 Nairobi I title. She also said she hopes to start competing in Junior Grand Slams from May beginning with the French Open. Her participation in grand slam depends on breaking into the best 100 junior players.
Kenyan tennis sensation Angella Okutoyi is on course to enter the top 100 on the International Tennis Federation (ITF) Junior Rankings after rising 59 places in two weeks to settle at 127th in the world.
Okutoyi, who celebrated her 17th birthday on January 29, is up 24 spots in the latest ITF Junior Rankings released on February 1.
She began the year at position 185 globally, but climbed 35 places to 151st after dominating the first of the two grade four World Tour junior tournaments (J4 Nairobi I) held at Nairobi Club from January 18-22 without dropping a single set.
The 2018 Kenya Open champion was at it again in the second tournament (J4 Nairobi II) held from January 25-29 to achieve the massive jump.
Beverly Nyangom, Shanice Roignot (France), Imogen Haddad (Great Britain), Olga Mishenina (Russia) and Irish-Zimbabwean Celine Simunyu were her casualties in the first tournament.
Okutoyi was made to sweat in the second tournament after dropping a set in 2-1 wins against Norwegian Nicole Sartz-Lunde, Russian Mishenina and Iranian Meshkatolzahra Safi in the first three rounds, before saving the best for last in a 6-1, 6-4 thrashing of Hungarian Luca Udvardy in the final on her birthday.
One of the targets Okutoyi has set for 2021 is to make the top 100 global list.
She revealed this in an interview after bagging the J4 Nairobi I title.
She also said she hopes to start competing in Junior Grand Slams from May beginning with the French Open. Her participation in grand slam depends on breaking into the best 100 junior players.
Francis Rogoi, Okutoyi’s coach, attributed her rise to the work she put in during the pandemic.
“She was very focused and had great work ethics, not forgetting the discipline even in the most difficult times. She deserves the rise by winning 10 singles in a row in two weeks,” said Rogoi, as he disclosed Okutoyi’s next stop is the ITF Centre in Casablanca in Morocco next week.
“The goal is to see her qualify to play in French Open Juniors.”
