S. GitahiUnseeded Okutoyi punches her way to ITF W15 women singles semifinals in Monastir
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Reading Time: 2min | Fri. 28.07.23. | 21:25
The Kenyan, alongside Frenchwoman Beverly Nyangon, won the W15 Doubles earlier this month at the same venue
2022 Wimbledon Girls’ Doubles champion Angella Okutoyi is through to the semifinals of the ITF W15 women singles tour event in Monastir, Tunisia after out-staging 19 year old Italian Anastasia Abbagnato - the tournament’s fifth seed - in three sets of 6-2, 1-6, 6-1 in a Friday afternoon quarter-finals matchup on Court 5.
The win comes hot on the heels of another impressive win by the unseeded wildcard, after she claimed a 6-4, 6-0 straight sets victory over the top seed, Yasmin Mansouri in Thursday’s round of 16 game at center- court.
W15 Tunisia: Zeel Desai through to the semis
— Indian Tennis Daily (ITD) (@IndTennisDaily) July 28, 2023
24-yr Zeel, a former top-20 junior, came up with 3 straight set wins to move into the semis of the Futures event in Tunisia.
She will face 19-yr Kenyan upcomer Angella Okutoyi in the semis. pic.twitter.com/iTPjgp7rn5
The 19 year old will on Saturday now face off with another highly-ranked player in the name of Zeel Desai - the tournament's third seed from India.
The other semifinal tie on the day will see Romania’s Alexandra Iordache take on unseeded American Isabella Harvison.
Okutoyi’s recent performances follow her second W15 Doubles title triumph on 15 July 2023, when she, and her partner - Beverly Nyangon - edged out their opponents - Gaia Parravicini and Samira De Stefano 6-4, 3-6 (10-2) in the doubles finals in Monastir.
Her singles run in the ITF Tunisia 30A was however halted in the Round of 16 by Vlada Mincheva who emerged the winner in a three set thriller.
Last week, the 2022 J1 Repentigny tournament doubles champion made it all the way to the ITF 31A quarter-finals, losing out to Italian Cristina Elena Tiglea in three sets of 6-1, 4-6, 2-6.
Her run this week began with a Round of 32 win over 18 year German Helena Buchwald 5-7, 2-6.
Okutoyi is among the athletes under the Olympic Solidarity scholarship, and also plays for Auburn University.
Unseeded @Okutoyiangella2 playing as a wild card is into the semi finals of the W15 tour event in Monastir, Tunisa. Today she upset the seed 5 (Italy) and yesterday she beat the seed 1 from France. Super proud of you Angie. #TalantaHela #AbabuNaKazi pic.twitter.com/ithAy78Dmo
— Hon Ababu-Namwamba, EGH🇰🇪 (@AbabuNamwamba) July 28, 2023
“Super proud of you Angie,” the Cabinet Secretary for Youth Affairs, Sports and the Arts posted on Friday.
The semifinal game starts at 1130 EAT on Saturday.
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