This archive report was first published on 15 November 2019.
Kenyans in Mixed Results at ITF Tourney ¶
Published on November 15, 2019
The second round of the International Tennis Federation Juniors tourney kicked off on Thursday at the Nairobi club, with Kenyan players posting mixed results.
Ryan Ateto opened the boys' singles matches by thrashing Iran's Mani Parasarvesh 4-6, 6-1 (10-4), while Whycliffe Okenye lost 4-6, 4-6 to Paul Brunel of Cameroon.
Angela Okutoyi dominated the court in the girls' singles, winning 7-6 (9) 6-0 against Miotisoa Rasendra of Madagascar, while Cynthia Wanjala lost 0-6, 1-6 to Burundi's Aisha Niyonkuru.
Ateto's victory was a result of his strong serves and high forehand stabs, which Parasarvesh responded to with his double-handed backhand swings.
"I have never played my opponent before so I did not know what to expect and I was worried about being rusty, but I am happy I got through the second round because I am now more confident going forward," said Ateto.
Okenye, on the other hand, struggled in the hands of Cameroon's Brunel, who maintained his stamina on the court and served high and wide stabs that were a challenge for Okenye.
"At least I was more consistent with the balls but I did not move as fast as expected, giving him advantage but I have noted my errors and now aim to improve," said Okenye.
Okutoyi, the 15-year-old Kenya Open champion, played heartily against Rasendra in a short, but sweet two-set match.
"The match was fairly good with my opponent put up a good fight challenging me to improve my serves to get a win," said Okutoyi.
Wanjala, ranked 2794 in the world, struggled with speed against her 17-year-old opponent Niyonkuru, who was fast on her feet and consistent with her serves that had great spin and acceleration throughout the match.
"I honestly don't know what happened today, I thought I had it but she seemed more prepared especially with her serves that continuously surprised me," said Wanjala.
