Okutoyi storms second round of World Tennis Tour tournament

Kenya’s Angella Okutoyi battled from a set down to clip Sophie Luescher of Switzerland and sail through to the second round of the Women’s World Tennis Tour at the Karen Country Club on Tuesday.

However, Okutoyi’s fellow country women Chepkemei Yego and Alicia Owegi were not so lucky as they suffered straight set losses against their superior opponents in the tournament.

Okutoyi found herself at the back foot when Luescher put her to the sword, conceding the first set 6-2 before Kenya won the next two sets 7-5 and 6-4.

Okutoyi has a battle at hand against third seeded Kia-Jing Lu from China in the tussle for a quarter-final place. The Chinese stormed past Gaia Squarcialiupi from Italy in straight sets of 6-0, 6-1.

Yego lost to Matilde Mariani from Italy 6-0, 6-1 as the visitor matched on to face eighth seeded Emma Lene from France in the second round. Lene crushed Canadian Loce_Star Alexis 6-2, 6-0 to advance.

Viktoria Morvayova silenced Owegi also in straight sets of 6-2, 6-2 to set up second seeded Sada Nahimana from Burundi in the second rounds. Nahimana had to dig deep before overcoming Lucie Nguyen Tan from France 6-4, 6-4.

Okutoyi would then team up with Japanese Nagomi Higashitani to beat Luescher and Stephanie Auer of Austria 6-4, 6-2 to reach doubles quarter-finals.

Okutoyi/Higashitani will now be hoping to bring down second seeded Colombian pair of Knesia Laskutoya/Herazo Gonzalez in the quarters.

Laskutoya/ Gonzalez beat the Italians Squarcialiupi/Mariani 6-3, 6-2 to cruise through.

Alicia Owegi and Roselida Asumwa lost to Anastasiya Kuparev (Germany) and Carolina Nava Elkin Amanda (Mexico) 6-2, 7-5.

Kuparev/Amanda will now face the might of top seeded Valeroya Strakhova (Ukraine)/ Fanny Ostlund (Sweden) in the quarters.

Strakhova/Ostlund silenced Cynthia Wanjala (Kenya)/Shana Martin Mao (Tanzania) 6-0, 6-2.

The championships continue on Wednesday with the second round of matches in the singles and doubles quarter-finals.