African Games: Angella Okutoyi clinches tennis gold to end 46-year wait

Kenyan tennis star Angella Okutoyi is the new African Games champion after beating out Egyptian opponent Lamis Elhussein Abdelaziz 6-4, 6-2 in a Thursday gold medal match at TC Tennis Complex in Accra, Ghana.

The win means that Okutoyi, who was the first Kenyan to win a Grand Slam title at the girls’ juniors Wimbledon event in 2022, has broken Kenya’s 46 year spell without a tennis singles medal, and becomes the second player since Jane Davies-Doxzon to win gold.

Coming off a grueling semifinal on Tuesday - where she was on court for four hours and 27 minutes in a three-set thriller over world number 62 Mayar Sherif - Okutoyi was on a roll in the first set, winning it 6-4.

Elhussein took a brief 1-0 lead in the second set, but was later usurped by the tournament fourth seed to trail 5-1; Okutoyi on hand to finish off the tie.

The Egyptian - ranked 562 in the WTA standings - managed to get a game back before Okutoyi braved two deuces to wrap up the win that puts her in a decent position to qualify for this summer’s Olympic Games.

As per the Paris Olympics qualification standards, Okutoyi, who is ranked 532nd in the world, will now need to be in the top 400 positions to make the cut.

With the added initiative of being the African champion, Okutoyi's goal will be to participate in tournaments between now and 10 June, the set-date by which she ought to have gained over 100 positions in the WTA rankings.

On the brink of a double

Having matched Davies-Doxzon's single record, Okutoyi will now set her eyes on equaling her doubles victory - which she won with then partner Susan Wakhungu - as she teams up with Cynthia Cheruto in the women’s doubles finals against the Egyptian duo of Sandra Sameh Samir and Merna Mostafa Refaat later on Thursday.

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Journey to record equaling win

Okutoyi enjoyed a brilliant run-in that pulled her clear of her Round of 16 exit in 2019.

After a first round bye, Okutoyi recorded a win in the Round of 32 against Zambian Naomi Chilese (6-3, 6-1), before brushing aside Egyptian Refaat Mostafa Elkotb (6-3, 6-3) in the last 16.

The Auburn University student then met a familiar foe in Aya El Aouni of Tunisia, who she beat in the quarterfinals, dismissing her 6-4, 6-3.

All that then led her to her toughest match against the aforementioned Mayar Sherif, perhaps a deserved cue to Thursday's final victory.