Okutoyi makes winning start at US Open
Kenya's Angella Okutoyi serves the ball during their Wimbledon Open doubles Junior Championships semi-final match at the grass courts of All England Lawn Tennis Club on July 8, 2022.
What you need to know:
- Okutoyi dug deep to make the huge leap forward after she had suffered defeats against Canadian Mia Kupres in the first round at the Junior Championships Wimbledon in July on the grass courts and Slovenian Ela Nala Milic in the second round at the J1 Repentigny in Canada last week.
- Okutoyi’s dream in New York is to dominate both doubles and singles and the win keeps that hope alive.
Kenya's Angella Okutoyi opened her campaign at the US Open Junior Championships in style after stunning German Carolina Kuhl 7-6, 7-5 in her first round singles match on the hard courts of the Flushing Meadows in New York on Sunday.
It was sweet revenge for the Wimbledon and Repentigny doubles champion, who had lost against Kuhl 6-2, 6-3 in the second round of the JA Cape Town in October 2021 in South Africa.
Okutoyi, who is playing her last Grand Slam as a junior player, will meet eighth-seed Taylah Preston in the second round. The Australian beat Alyssa Ahn (USA) 6-0, 3-6, 6-1 in the other round of 64 match.
Ranked 60th on the current International Tennis Federation (ITF) Junior rankings, Okutoyi,18, brought her “A” game against the 40th-ranked player.
Okutoyi dug deep to make the huge leap forward after she had suffered defeats against Canadian Mia Kupres in the first round at the Junior Championships Wimbledon in July on the grass courts and Slovenian Ela Nala Milic in the second round at the J1 Repentigny in Canada last week.
Okutoyi’s dream in New York is to dominate both doubles and singles and the win keeps that hope alive.
