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Kenya's Okutoyi clinches doubles title at W15 Monastir tournament in Tunisia

Africa Games champion Angella Okutoyi. (Photo: Intercollegiate Tennis Association)

By Amina Wako | Sunday, May 26, 2024

Okutoyi, who currently studies at Auburn University in the USA, is preparing for crucial tournaments in La Marsa, Tunisia, as she aims to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

Africa Games champion Angella Okutoyi, in partnership with Egypt’s Merna Refaat, emerged victorious in the doubles event at the W15 Monastir tournament.

The duo clinched the title after a commanding performance against China's Yi Liu and Jiayu Xu, winning 6-2, 6-2 on the hard courts of Hotel Skanes Family Monastir.

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Fourth-seeded Okutoyi and Refaat stunned top seeds Zeel Desai of India and Daria Khomutsianskaya of Belarus in the semi-finals, achieving a decisive 6-3, 6-1 sets victory in just 58 minutes.

Their opponents in the final, Liu and Xu, had previously ousted Alyssa Reguer of France and Arlinda Rushiti of Kosovo with a 6-1, 6-3 win in the other semi-final.

The final saw Kenya's Okutoyi and Refaat dominate with their serves, winning four out of six break points, while Liu and Xu failed to capitalise on five break point opportunities.

Okutoyi and Refaat performed exceptionally well, winning all eight of their service games and displaying strong receiver points.

Second W15 Monastir doubles title

This victory marks Okutoyi's second W15 Monastir doubles title, following her first win with French partner Beverley Nyangoma on July 16, 2023.

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Another 🥇 w the best @mernarefaatt #W15
Thanks for this week it was so fun ❤️❤️#noweakness @OlympicsKe @AuburnWTennis @tennis_kenya pic.twitter.com/RFNx3a0zoW
— Angella Okutoyi (@Okutoyiangella2) May 25, 2024

The road to this recent success included a tough first-round win over China’s Jiaying He and Ying Xhang (6-2, 2-6, 10-7) and a walkover in the quarter-final against South Korea’s Onyu Choi and Australia’s Bianca Compuesto before their semi-final upset against Desai and Khomutsianskaya.

Okutoyi, who currently studies at Auburn University in the USA, is preparing for crucial tournaments in La Marsa, Tunisia, as she aims to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

She will also lead Kenya’s team in the Billie Jean King Cup Africa Group III at the Nairobi Club from June 10–16.

The W15 Monastir tournament offers winners 15 world ranking points and prize money of Sh127,015, with runners-up earning 10 points and Sh68,495.

The win bolsters Okutoyi's ranking and confidence as she heads into the higher-tier W35 La Marsa from May 27 to June 2, and W50 La Marsa from June 3 to 9.

She wants to break into the top 400 in the global rankings, currently standing at 502 with 109 points and needs 50 more points by the June 10 deadline to secure her spot in the Olympics.