Kenyan tennis sensation Okutoyi h**ds for US Open championship
Kenyan tennis star Angella Okutoyi finally received her Canadian visa and left the country Tuesday night for tough assignments ahead.
Okutoyi will take part in the J1 Repentigny in Canada and US Open Junior championships in New York.
The new tennis sensation will kick off her tour with the US Open slated for August 28 to September 3.
Thereafter, she who is also the 2018 Kenya Open champion will compete at the US Open Junior Championships scheduled for September 4-10.
The 2021 Africa Under 21 champion who is on the Grand Slam Player Development Programme will head to the USA inspired after recently winning the Sports Personality of the Month of July award.
She was also awarded a three-year membership by Karen Country Club alongside her twin sister, Roselida Asumwa. Okutoyi, 18, was also granted membership of the Nairobi Club as a Junior Elected Member until she clocks 25 years.
This comes after her impressive success in January when she reached the third round at the Australian Open Juniors thus becoming the first Kenyan to win a girls’ junior singles Grand Slam match.
Okutoyi and her partner Rose Nijkamp from the Netherlands outclassed the Canadian duo of Kayla Cross and Victoria Mboko 2-1 (3-6, 6-4, 11-9) in the Junior doubles final on the grass courts of All England Lawn Tennis Club.
The triumph at Wimbledon showcased her brilliant display of mental strength given her setback in the singles category where she succumbed in the first round.
For her to scoop the prestigious Sports Personality of the Month award Okutoyi beat several other nominees including Africa 100m champion Ferdinand Omanyala who was eliminated in the semis at the World Championships in Oregon.
Okutoyi also won the award at the expense of Faith Kipyegon who reclaimed her world 1,500 m title in Oregon and Emmanuel Korir who won the 800 m gold medal in the just concluded world championships games.
