Okutoyi loses R2 match in Egypt

Kenya’s tennis ace Angella Okutoyi could not continue with her appearance at the W15 Sharm ElSheikh tournament currently ongoing in Sharm ElSheikh, Egypt as second seeded 19 year old Slovenian international Ziva Falkner ousted her in straight sets to knock out the African Junior champion in a Round 2 match played on Thursday evening.

On Wednesday afternoon, Okutoyi had done well for herself as she progressed from the first round after overpowering Latvia’s Margarita Ignatjeva 1-6, 4-6.

Okutoyi off to a perfect start in Egypt

Similarly, Falkner had knocked out Sweden’s Vanessa Ersoz in straight sets to secure the clash between the two.

On the day, it is the Slovenian, who is ranked number 493 in the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Tour who get the better of the Kenyan tennis role model as she won 6-2, 6-3 to end Okutoyi’s run.

The 18 year old Okutoyi had been given a wild card entrance into the tournament that she was using as she starts making the transition into the senior’s game.

In an exclusive feature with Mozzart Sport, Okutoyi revealed that playing in the seniors’ Grand Slam would be her ultimate success in the sport. This is after she made history by becoming the first Kenyan girl to play in the Australian Open where she featured in the Junior Grand Slam Championship.

“My goal was just to reach at the Australian Open as I had written in my tennis diary. That is not the goal anymore. For me, playing the seniors’ Grand Slam would be the ultimate success for me,” the African champion said.

Angella Okutoyi – Tennis barrier breaker who rose from a children's orphanage to the Grand Slam

The tennis star had an impressive run in the Junior Grand Slam as she became the first ever Kenyan girl to record a Junior Grand Slam match-win before she went on to double the number of wins in the subsequent round. It is in the third round that she was tossed out of the tourney just one match away from the quarters.