Kenyan players dominate junior championships

Kenya's Roselida Asumwa plays a forehand shot to Cynthia Cheruto during their Eastern Africa Junior Tennis Championship semi-finals singles match on January 10, 2018 at Nairobi Club. PHOTO | CHRIS OMOLLO |

What you need to know:

  • Angela Okutoyi and Jayson Mbogoro won the Under 14 girls’ and boys’ finals respectively as Ryan Randiek made it a hat-trick as he emerged victorious in the boys’ Under 16 final as the week-long tourney that attracted players from Seven African countries came to an end.

Kenyan players on Thursday won three out of the four finals as the Eastern African Junior Tennis Championship ended at the Nairobi Club.

Angela Okutoyi and Jayson Mbogoro won the Under 14 girls’ and boys’ finals respectively as Ryan Randiek made it a hat-trick as he emerged victorious in the boys’ Under 16 final as the week-long tourney that attracted players from Seven African countries came to an end.

It was a family affair in the girls Under 14 final as twins Okutoyi and Roselida Asumwa faced off for the title. It was Okutoyi who came out on top as she got the better of her twin sister winning 6-2, 6-0 in their singles final.

It was however a bitter sweet experience for the victorious Okutoyi who wished that she would have faced another opponent.

“It feels good to win a final but not at the expense of making your sister cry and it takes a bit of the joy of winning. I wish it would have been another opponent but that it just how the game is,” Okutoyi said.

Okutoyi, who has been in imperious form throughout the tourney, raced to a 4-1 win in the opening set before Asumwa won the next game to revive hopes of a comeback. It was however not to be as the top seed claimed the next two games to win the opening set.

The second set was rather a one-sided as Okutoyi displayed some brilliant tennis to win all the six games without dropping any.

“She was better than me today and congratulations to her for the win. I have learnt a lot from her and hopefully, I will improve in the team event,” Asumwa said. The boys’ final was also another home affair pitting the top seed Kael Shah and Mbogori.

Mbogori showed that ranking does not really matter as he won the contest 6-2, 6-4 to shock the top seed in their encounter on centre court.

Mbogori attributed his win to a brilliant start and dominance near the net.

“The key was to take the game to him and it worked brilliantly because it disrupted his rhythm. It feels nice starting the year with a title,” the teenager said.

With Kenya winning two of two, Randiek did not disappoint in his final against the highly fancied Damien Laporte of Seychelles. The home player battled hard to win 6-4, 6-2 in the 78-minute encounter. The girls’ final was won by Burundi’s Aisha Niyonkuru after a 6-2, 6-1 win over compatriot Hoziane Kitambala.