Tennis: Kenyans dominate Rwanda Open

Kenyans Angella Okutoyi, Albert Njogu, Jane Ndenga and Rajab Athman swept all the singles titles at the Rwanda Open tennis tournament in Kigali on Sunday.

Wimbledon junior doubles champion Okutoyi, who was the top seed in ladies singles, floored her second-seeded twin sister Roselida Asumwa 6-1, 6-2 as unseeded Njogu stunned top-seeded Ismail Changawa, who was defending the title, 6-4, 4-6, 6-1 in the men's singles finals on the clay courts of Integrated Polytechnic Regional College (IPRC) Ecology Tennis Club.

Ndenga and Athman reigned supreme in the wheelchair categories against Tanzanians Rehema Saidi Selemani 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 and Jumanne Nasozo Zea 0-6, 6-3, 6-4 respectively.

Okutoyi, who defeated Belyse Irakoze (Rwanda) 6-0, 6-0, Rwanda Open 2016 winner Nancy Allyson Onya (DR Congo) 6-1, 6-0 and Cynthia Wanjala (Kenya) 6-1, 6-0 on her way to the final, said it was special playing against Asumwa.

“The feeling of winning the Rwanda Open title was great. It feels good and special also because it had been long since I played against my sister,” noted Okutoyi, who heads to Auburn University in the USA to pursue a degree in Business Management and Apparel Design and tennis on a full scholarship.

Enroute the final, Asumwa dispatched Gisele Umumararungu (Rwanda) 6-2, 6-4, sixth-seeded Martin Mao (Tanzania) 7-5, 6-4 and Olive Tuyisenge (Rwanda) 7-6(5), 6-4.

Okutoyi and Asumwa last met during the ITF/CAT Eastern African Junior Championship at Nairobi Club in January 2018. Okutoyi won that match 6-2, 6-0 in the final.

In Rwanda, Okutoyi bagged two trophies at Rwanda Open after she partnered with Asumwa to win in doubles 6-1, 6-0 against Tanzanian third seeds Mao and Ester Nankulange.

Changawa went into the singles final buoyed by clinching the doubles with his Burundian partner Cuma Issa. The second-seeded duo triumphed 6-3, 3-6, 10-5 over top seeds Imoke Ikondo (DR Congo)/Ibrahim Kibet (Kenya).

Njogu, who stunned Fabrice Tuyishime (Rwanda) 6-2, 6-1, Menard Mshanga (Tanzania) 6-2, 6-3, fourth-seed Etienne Niyigena (Rwanda) 6-1, 6-2 and second-seeded Kibet 7-5, 6-4 on his way to the men’s final, could not hide his joy at winning his first major title.

“First, I want to thank the Almighty Father for this far he has brought me. I attribute my performance to good training, through pain and gain, since January. I have met Changawa twice. We first met in 2018 during the Kenya Open at Nairobi Club. I lost to him in two sets of 6-4, 6-0, so I’m happy to get my revenge in the final,” said Njogu.

Phoebe Masika (Kenya)/Rehema Selemani (Tanzania) lifted the women’s wheelchair doubles crown after seeing off Kenyans Asiya Sururu and Ndenga 6-4, 6-2 in the final.

Women’s and men’s singles winners and runners-up pocketed Sh308,664 and Sh160,505 each.

Wheelchair singles winners and runners-up took home Sh86,373 and Sh49,356 respectively. Prize money for the top two finishers in doubles was Sh74,034 and Sh49,356 and wheelchair doubles Sh49,356 and Sh37,017 respectively.