Teenage star Okutoyi speaks after historic Junior Grand Slam at Australian Open
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Reading Time: 3min | Thu. 27.01.22. | 10:45
She won the first two rounds but was edged out by Serbia’s Lola Radivojevic in the third round
Tennis teenage sensation Angella Okutoyi has expressed her delight at her impressive run in the Junior Grand Slam during the Australian Open despite being knocked out in the third round.
The Kenyan had a good run in the first two rounds, sailing through past Federica Urgesi and Zara Larke respectively but her fairytale at the Australian Open Junior Championship was brought to a disappointing end in the third round as she lost in straight sets to Serbia’s Lola Radivojevic on Wednesday morning.
Her win against Urgesi was historic as she became the first Kenyan girl to record a Junior Grand Slam match-win, and went on to double the number of wins in the subsequent round, being tossed out just one match away from the quarters.
For the first time since the tournament started, Angella loses the opening set 6-2 against Lola Radivojevic.
— Ochi (@soo_ochieng) January 26, 2022
She will need to dig deeper from here now. Got her serve broken three times in that first set.#AngellaOkutoyi #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/9Y9BmCyJAU
Speaking to the International Tennis Federation, she termed her historic feat as special, saying that she is hopeful her performance would send a message to Kenyans and Africans in general that they can do the same.
“To make history here in Melbourne has been very special. I am happy that people in Kenya have been able to see that and they, together with African players more generally, realise they have a chance to do the same. In Kenya, most people who play tennis are not well-off. Their families, like mine, don’t have much and I just want to encourage them and say that situation doesn’t mean they cannot reach here, and it doesn’t define them. It can actually give them a drive and a motivation to do good,” Okutoyi told ITF
The product of the Junior Tennis Initiative where she was enrolled at the tender age of four plans to use her experience at the big stage as a springboard in her career, with no intention of being a one-hit-wonder.
What a backhand 😲
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 26, 2022
🇰🇪 Angella Okutoyi is one of the feel-good storylines of this fortnight 👏 #AusOpen · #AO2022
🎥: @wwos · @espn · #Eurosport · @wowowtennis pic.twitter.com/xjkRNCF17K
She further added that picked vital lessons, the biggest of all being belief which propelled her through the two rounds.
“This can be a springboard for me. Coming to just enjoy, I made the third round. What if I came here and my goal is to win? Maybe I can actually do it. The biggest lesson this week has been that it doesn’t matter where you come from, you have to believe. Belief is what I had throughout my matches. We are all good tennis players, and it doesn’t matter what the ranking is, it matters who is more tennis strong,” she added.
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