Okutoyi destroys defending champion to smell African Games gold

Kenya’s Angella Okutoyi has caused a major upset after outwitting 2019 African Games women singles champion Mayar Sherif 5-7, 7-5, 7-6 in a grueling semi-final match which lasted four hours and 20 minutes at the Borteyman Sports Complex in Accra, Ghana on Wednesday.

Fourth-seeded Okutoyi (532 in the latest WTA singles rankings), who is Kenya’s first World Tennis Tour singles champion, proved competitive against the top-seeded Sherif (70) in all the three sets.
She led the first set 3-1 only to lose it 5-7, but never gave up the fight, proving she was equal to task after coming from 2-5 behind to clinch the second set 7-5.

In the decisive third set, Auburn University student Okutoyi trailed 0-3, but showed great determination. She gave as much as she got, leveling at 3-3 and 4-4 and even took the lead 5-4 before Sherif leveled 5-5. Okutoyi fell behind 5-6, but quickly regrouped, displaying great tennis skills to level 6-6. It was again a see-saw in the tie-breaker before Okutoyi wrapped the famous win.

Both Okutoyi and Sherif earned first round byes. Okutoyi would sweep aside Naomi Chileshe (Zambia), Merna Refaat (Egypt) and Aya El Aouni (Morocco) in the next three stages in that order to set a date with Sherif who saw off Eliaza Honfoga (Benin), Sasha Chimedza (Zimbabwe) and Ibbou Ines (Algeria).

Okutoyi, 20, and Sherif, 27, were meeting in a competition for the first time ever. 

Okutoyi will meet sixth-seeded Egyptian Lamis Elhussein in the final. Elhussein (562) stunned third seed Sandra Samir (466) 6-3, 7-5 in the other semi-final match. Elhussein is ranked 562 in WTA Singles rankings.  

It was double joy for Okutoyi and her partner Cynthia Cheruto as they qualified for doubles final after Egyptians Sherif/Elhussein gave a walkover. 

The Kenyan pair had put up a strong fight in the quarter-finals on Tuesday to defeat Sierra Leoneans Sandy Sierra/Elena Asgill-Whalley 6-2, 2-6, 12-10 and reach the last four.

The only Kenyans to have won medals at the African Games are Jane Davies-Doxzon (gold), Susan Wakhungu (silver) and Paul Wekesa (bronze) in singles at the 1978 African Games in Algeria and Saeed Cockar and Yashvin Shretta (bronze) in men’s doubles in 1965 in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo.

Cricket lads bounce back

Meanwhile, Kenya on Wednesday thrashed hosts Ghana by seven wickets to sneak through to the semi-final in men’s cricket at the African Games.

Veteran batsman Collins Obuya again starred for Kenya with 68 runs off 30 balls in the Group 'A' match held at Achitoma Senior Secondary School B Field.

Kenya’s progress to the penultimate stage of the competition was boosted by Uganda’s two-run win over University Sport South Africa (USSA) in the pool’s other match held at Achitoma Senior Secondary School A Field. 

It was after Kenya thrashed South Africa by 70 runs on Tuesday that they changed the team’s name to USSA. South Africa claimed that the team featuring in the competition is not Proteas.

This is despite the team donning Proteas’ colours, even in the clash against Uganda. 

With Kenya and USSA tied on two points after two matches, they all needed to win their last group matches on Wednesday to advance to the semi-finals stage. 

Heading into their match against USSA, Uganda were assured of a spot in the sem-finals since they topped the pool with four points.

Batting first after winning the toss, Ghana set a target of 111 runs all-out in 18.3 overs of their innings.

Kenya stormed the semi-final after posting 115 runs for the loss of three wickets in 11.1 overs of their innings. Obuya spiced up his performance with eight fours and five sixes.

Skipper Rakep Patel and teenager Aarnav Patel took the most wickets for Kenya at three each. In their match against USSA, Aarnav Patel starred with five wickets.

Following their slim win over USSA, Uganda topped the pool with six points while Kenya finished second with four points.

In the semi-finals planned for Thursday, Kenya will clash with the Group 'B' winner.

Ahead of their match against Nigeria Wednesday evening, Zimbabwe topped the pool with four points while the West Africans were second with two points.