Tennis: History maker Okutoyi to face Preston in US Open second round

Kenya's rising Tennis star Angela Okutoyi looks on before being awarded the LG SJAK sports personality of the month at Nairobi Club on August 18, 2022. (Kelly Ayodi, Standard)

Wimbledon Doubles champion Angella Okutoyi will be hoping to reach the knockout stages in the singles of the US Open when she takes to the court against Australian Taylah Preston today from 6 pm EAT in the second-round match at the Flushing Meadows, New York.

The 18-year-old Kenyan tennis star reached the second round after breezing past German's Carolina Kuhl by straight sets in the first round on Sunday evening.

Okutoyi stunned Kuhl 7-6, 7-5 to complete sweet revenge who had lost to the German 6-2, 6-3 in the second round of the JA Cape Town in South Africa last year in October.

Okutoyi, who is playing her last Grand Slam as a junior player, will meet eighth-seed Taylah Preston in the second round.

The Australian beat Alyssa Ahn (USA) 6-0, 3-6, 6-1 in the other round of 64 match.

The eighth-seeded Australian is by no doubt a favourite in the match, but it will not be a new thing to the Kenyan girl who has been pulling upsets opponents.

If Okutoyi defeats Preston, she will be up against either Alexandra Eala of the Philippines or Slovakia's Nina Vargova in the last 16.

Last Saturday, Okutoyi added another accolade to her trophy cabinet as she bagged the Girls Doubles title in the J1 Repentigny tournament that took place in Canada

Alongside her Polish partner Malwina Rowinska, Okutoyi, staged a thrilling comeback from a set down to claim the trophy after the duo beat Ella Sidel (Germany) and Amelia Waligora (Belgium) 3-6, 6-2, 10-8 in the nail-biting finale.