Two-time Kenya Open champion Angela Okutoyi will grace the W25 tournament slated for the Karen and Nairobi clubs next month.
Tennis Kenya (TK) executive director, Nancy Nduku, said Okutoyi has confirmed participation in the two-week event that has a prize purse of Sh3.7 million
Nduku said preparations for the two events started in earnest. “This being a key event in our calendar, our preparations have already started to ensure the tennis courts are in good shape plus the logistics involved."
Other players expected for the championship include Alicia Owegi, Cynthia Cheruto, Stacy Yego, and a host of international players from several countries. Players will be keen to add ranking in one of the final tournaments of the year according to Nduku.
Okutoyi the 2022 Wimbledon doubles junior champion has risen to the highest ranking on the global stage at 869 and has vowed to move up higher with the tournaments she plays on the US circuit.
“ There are a couple of tournaments in November which I plan to play and I hope to go on a good run to improve my ranking further in the world and be in the top 700 by the close of the year,” said Okutoyi.
Okutoyi has had mixed success on the US circuit, where her performance in the singles has been blowing par. She has, however, flourished in the doubles category alongside Adeline Flach, winning the W15 tournament a fortnight ago. They defeated Anita Sadileva of Ukraine and Chieh Yu Hsu of Chinese Taipei 7-5, 6-3.
“I'm looking forward to improving my form in the singles category in the tournament slated for this month,” said Okutoyi.
She added she was looking forward to playing on home soil having bagged the Kenya Open in August when she defeated Tanzania's Shana Mao 6-1, 6-1 in the singles category. She then teamed up with sibling Rosehilda Asumwa to bag the doubles crown after seeing off Tanzania's Mao and Esther Nankulenge 6-0, 6-0.
“I'm looking forward to playing against quality players from across the world and do the country proud on home soil."
