Bring it on! Okutoyi roars again giving Kenyans a show to remember

Sensational Angella Okutoyi gave Kenyans a show to remember at the Nairobi Club.

The Wimbledon junior doubles champion won her Billie Jean King Cup Africa Group III opening match 7-5, 6-3 against Moroccan top seed Malak El Allami in a pulsating singles battle.

Partnering with Cynthia Cheruto, Okutoyi also led the country to win 6-4,7-5 against Moroccan duo of Aya El Aouni and Yasmine Kabbaj in the doubles.

In her singles clash, Okutoyi put a mighty show against a resilient Allami to pull through the tough match.

The Auburn University student came from behind in the nervy encounter to force 2-2, 4-4 and 5-5 ties before bagging the first set 7-5.

Allami, again, led in the second set before Okutoyi caught up with her at 2-2, after which the Kenyan girl took control of the proceedings to bag the encounter 6-3 for a 2-0 win.

The tough match left fans on the edge of their seats with its nervy see-saw affair. The spectators, led by Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba, waved miniature Kenyan flags as they cheered Okutoyi on, in the clash held on clay under the scorching Nairobi overhead sun. The fans broke into song and dance whenever Okutoyi picked a point.

When Okutoyi finally delivered the assignment home, Isukuti dancers blasted their drums with conventional Luhya renditions and the epic celebrations at the Nairobi Club centre court were iced with the Dj spinning club banger 'Angela' by Boutross featuring Juices-man, which sent the party into delirium.

"I knew I was the one to lead the team to where we are now, so the pressure was on my side to perform. It was good pressure as we are now leading Morocco 2-1 in the tournament," Okutoyi told Standard Sports.

"Partnering with Cynthia has made me play one of the best doubles this season and we will continue to play the same way as we enjoy the matches," said Okutoyi.

Cheruto said it was not easy to crack the Moroccans and they had to put in more efforts to triumph.

Earlier, Alicia Owegi lost 2-0 (6-3, 6-0) to Aouni.

"I came to the match with a lot of energy. I enjoyed the crowd and I had support from fans and my family. I did all that I could, but it's unfortunate that a few games in the sets did not work for me," Owegi said.

"I know the tournament is still young and I'm excited to see how the rest of the competition pans out. Going forward, I'll try and maintain momentum in the whole match."

While hailing the Day One victories Namwamba said: "What Okutoyi has done today is incredible, beating Morocco who are very competitive in world tennis is not a mean feat."

"This victory is a shot in the arm for Kenyan tennis, I'm honoured to be here to witness the wins. I'm so delighted," Namwamba said.

The Sports CS, who presented Tennis Kenya with a Sh22.3 million boost, said there's need to harness talent in tennis at a tender age.