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All set for W15 Nairobi Tennis Tour in Karen

Angella Okutoyi

Angella Okutoyi trains at Karen Country Club on November 10, 2022 ahead of the ITF W15 Nairobi tournament.

Photo credit: Sila Kiplagat | Nation Media Group

By  Geoffrey Anene

Reporter

NMG Sport

What you need to know:

  • Auburn University-bound Okutoyi is the highest ranked player in Kenya in the latest ITF junior rankings at position 62 after dropping one place.
  • The W15 Nairobi tournaments have a prize money of USD15,000 each (Sh1.8 million each). They will be held from November 13-28.

The first of the two W15 Nairobi Women's World Tennis Tour lined up this month gets underway on Monday at Karen Country Club where four Kenyans will hope to join Wimbledon doubles champion Angella Okutoyi in the main draw.

Okutoyi’s twin sister Roselida Asumwa and Katarina Karanja have earned spots in the main draw of the W15 Nairobi tournament without breaking a sweat after qualifying draw was done on Saturday.

Mary Wachira will face Sharanya Shetty from India for a place in the main draw after both gained byes to the second round of the qualifying draw.

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Stacy Yego must dispatch India's Mahrukh Kokni in the second round to enter the main draw after the two also got first round byes.

Other Kenyans in the qualifying draw set to take to the courts on Monday are Claire Muthoni and Cynthia Wanjala. Muthoni will face Germany's Akua Akoma Hansen as Wanjala meets Israel's Adi Bitton to gain entry to the main draw.

Other players through to the main draw are Anushka Ashar and Prisha Vyas from the USA. Tanzania's Ester Nankulange must defeat India's Snehal Mane to earn a place in the main draw.

Asumwa along with W15 debutantes Muthoni and Yego exuded confidence ahead of the event.

“I have been training at Nairobi Club and Karen Country Club who both offered me membership a few months ago. I have competed in International Tennis Federation (ITF) tournaments for the last three weeks and I’m ready. My target is to get to the main draw and reach the semi-final,” said Asumwa, who is competing in W15 Nairobi for the second time after suffering eliminaton in the qualifying draw in 2019 when it was held on the hard courts at Peponi School.

Strathmore University student Muthoni said: “I’m ready. My goal is to get to the main draw,” she noted on Saturday.

Yego, too, was optimistic. “I’m prepared mentally and physically. I hope to reach the main draw,” said Yeg,o who trains at the KCB Leadership Centre in Karen.

Auburn University-bound Okutoyi is the highest ranked player in Kenya in the latest ITF junior rankings at position 62 after dropping one place.

The W15 Nairobi tournaments have a prize money of USD15,000 each (Sh1.8 million each). They will be held from November 13-28.

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