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There were easy wins for local big-shots Angela Okutoyi and Kevin Cheruiyot as the battle for the 2023 Kenya Open Championship tennis tournament intensified at the Nairobi Club yesterday.

Okutoyi, 19, straight from winning her maiden Pro ITF-World Women Tour Event in Tunisia a week ago was too much for her challenger Emaan Amin in a straight sets win of 6-0/6-0.

The American based top seed needed less than an hour to dispatch the opponent with relative easy as she exploited Amin’s numerous errors.

In another Ladies Singles event,Faith Urasa who is seeded eighth saw off Angeline Akinyi 6-0/6-1 in another steady performance. Urasa was ferocious with her serve and inch-perfect with her return game as well. She only dropped one game in the process as her determination took her towards the important stage of the competition which was returning for the first time in four years. Akinyi who is unseeded struggled for rhythm all through thus making the opponent enjoy more court presence.

Meanwhile Roselida Asumwa, seeded second in the tournament was also in cruise mode as she dispatched Rose Wanjala 6-0/6-2. Asumwa who is also based in the USA put in minimal effort in attaining her target of moving into the next round. Her power play especially on returns and game variety proved a tad difficult for the opponent in both sets of the match.

Elsewhere in the Boys Singles matches,Australian based Kevin Cheruiyot also saw off countryman Humphrey Arcapel in straight sets of 6-0/6-0.

The fifth seeded player had it all in check with determined play as he easily put out any lingering threats. The unseeded Arcapel seemed fazed in the stage and barely made it through the line with Cheruiyot attacking on all quarters.