Okutoyi sets her sights on French Open semis

Kenyan Tennis sensation Angella Okutoyi has laid bare her intentions to advance past the semifinals of the French Open set for between May 22 to June 5.

Okotoyi, who broke the ceiling following her recent success at the Australian Open in January when she became the first Kenyan female to win a grand slam juniors match, will be looking to write history in the Kenyan tennis scene when she makes appearances at the French Open and Wimbledon respectively.

Speaking after a fundraiser event held on Sunday aimed at realizing finances for her sustenance and furthering her career at the professional level, Okutoyi said it is her dream to reign supreme on French soil.

“I will play two weeks in Italy then one week in France at the French Open. My aim is to collect as many points as I can in Italy to increase my rankings. My expectations for the French Open is to make it to the semis and if possible even win a grand slam,” she said.

Angella has used continental events in Morocco and Egypt in the recent past to prepare for these major world events.

She will be going for a camp sponsored by the International Tennis Federation where she will be put in training with a grand slam team in Italy for two weeks after which she will be exposed to two events whose standards are equivalent to those of the grand slam to set the mood for the French Open.

Consequently, Okutoyi will go to a one-week camp to familiarize herself with the grass court which is the playing field at Wimbledon in the United Kingdom.

Okutoyi’s coach Francis Rogoi expressed optimism that Angella will put her best foot forward when she goes out to represent Kenya.

“Our plan going to the Australian Open was just to go learn and get a feel of the international standards but now we go into the Rolland Garos we know what to do at that level.We believe Angella will be in good hands with the ITF team which she has previously worked with and she will move to the top twenties hopefully,” he said.

Tennis Kenya through head of marketing Rose Meghas appealed to more companies to join Karen Country Club and Rentworks in supporting Angella’s journey towards greatness

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“We are very happy to have been on this journey with Angella for over ten years now and seeing her make moves at the global stage is a great thing for us. Because of her excellent performance, she has received sponsorships from the ITF for the grand slam events but in between she needs to go to competitions and travel. We are calling upon other companies to come in and support this journey,” he said.

Angella is set to play in the U.S Open later on in September.