This archive report was first published on 8 August 2019.
On August 7, 2019, Angela Okutoyi, the 2018 Kenya Open champion, made a strong start to the International Tennis Federation (ITF) World Women’s Tour by beating Demi Tran of Netherlands in straight sets of 7-5, 6-1 at the Peponi School in Ruiru.
Okutoyi, a 15-year-old from Kenya, struggled to assert herself in the opening set, but produced a fantastic display in the second set, with her powerful returns and serves proving too difficult for her Dutch opponent.
Okutoyi attributed her win to the motivation she gained from fellow Kenyans Faith Nyabera and Judith Nkatha, who won their matches on Tuesday. She said, 'Seeing them win gave me a lot of confidence and I had to give my best.'
Okutoyi's win also contributed to her tally in the Women’s Tennis Association rankings, increasing her points after the match.
Meanwhile, Okutoyi's Kenyan counterpart Fatiya Shariff found the going tough, losing to Brazilian Borges Galvao in straight sets of 6-1, 6-0.
Shariff, a 17-year-old from Kenya, struggled to cope with her opponent's serves, but took the loss as an opportunity to learn and gain experience.
Okutoyi's progress to the second round was not the only good news for Kenya, as fellow Kenyans Faith Nyabera and Judith Nkatha also advanced to the second round.
