Why Delaware tournament is important for tennis star Angella Okutoyi's Olympic dream

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Why Delaware tournament is important for tennis star Angella Okutoyi's Olympic dream

Mark Kinyanjui 15:00 - 11.05.2024

Okutoyi is set to travel to Delaware, USA to gear up for the W35 Bethany Beach Women's Singles tournament to improve her chances of qualifying for the Olympics.

The pursuit of an Olympic ticket continues for the African Games champion Angella Okutoyi as she gears up for the W35 Bethany Beach Women’s Singles tournament next week.

Ranked at a career-best 520th position on the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) standings, the 20-year-old Kenyan athlete is aiming to secure 65 crucial points to bolster her chances of making it to the prestigious Summer Games in Paris 2024.

With the current projections indicating that this points total would place her within the range of 380-400, exactly where she needs to be to qualify for the Olympics, the pressure is on for Okutoyi. 

The deadline for her to break into the top 400 players on the WTA standings is looming, set for June 10th.

The Bethany Beach tournament, scheduled to run from May 13th to 19th, marks Okutoyi's return to competitive action after a brief hiatus following her disappointment in Florida.

In her last outing, the reigning African Games champion suffered a setback in the quarterfinals against American Allie Kiick. Prior to that, she faced a qualifying round loss to American Sophie Chang in Charlottesville.

Despite these challenges, Okutoyi remains undeterred, seeing them as valuable lessons to enhance her preparations for future tournaments.

"The tournaments in Charlotte and Florida have revealed some areas where I must improve," Okutoyi emphasized in a recent interview with The Star.

 "Mentally, I have to get the grit to ensure I go past the quarters, and look at playing in the finals of the upcoming tournaments to boost my chances of playing in the Olympics."

Following her stint in Bethany Beach, Okutoyi, currently a student at Auburn University, will conclude her qualification campaign with a participation in the W15 event in San Diego, scheduled from May 27th to June 2nd.

As Okutoyi continues her journey towards Olympic qualification, the tennis world eagerly awaits her performance on the courts of Bethany Beach, where every point earned could bring her one step closer to realizing her dream of competing on the grand stage of the Paris 2024 Olympics.

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