Kenya's top-ranked player Angela Okutoyi has set her sights on two warm-up tournaments in Italy later this month as she gears up for the Junior French Open in May.
Okutoyi lost the defence of her African title in Sousse, Tunisia on Thursday, going down 6-3 7-5 to South Africa's seventh seed Leigh Van Zyl in an entertaining semifinal encounter.
The country's youngest Kenya Open champion said she will intensify her preparations for the two events in Italy and the Junior French Open in May.
“It was a tough semifinal. I battled hard for every point but Van Zyl was a tough opponent but I have learnt my lessons and intend to go back stronger," added Okutoyi.
Okutoyi now said playing on the clay court surface in Egypt, Morocco, and Tunisia will help her adapt to the conditions to expect in Italy and France for the next two months.
"I'm adapting quite well to the surface so am comfortable with it and I hope to improve my performance on it,” said Okutoyi
It's been a mixed performance from Okutoyi, twice getting to the quarterfinals in Egypt and in Casablanca and she said there is room for improvement heading to the European circuit later this month.
"She is making progress. We are still to see the best of her and I am confident she will be very competitive when we go to the European circuit," said Okutoyi's coach Thuku Rogoi.
Okutoyi played at the Junior Australian Open in January, reaching the third round.
