Cheruto shows character to propel Team Kenya to important second victory in 2024 Billie Jean King Cup
11th June 2024
Kenya beat Tunisia 2-1 to go top of Pool B.
- Cheruto bounced from losing her Singles match as Kenya came from behind to beat Tunisia 2-1.
- Okutoyi won her Singles match before pairing with Cheruto in the Doubles where they won.
- Team Kenya will face Burundi in a do-or die match on Wednesday.
The second day at the 2024 Billie Jean King Cup happening at
the Nairobi Club from 10-15 June belonged to local-based star Cynthia Cheruto
who showed incredible character to help Team Kenya move a step closer towards
fighting for the single promotion ticket up for grabs.
The 19-year-old, having lost the first Singles match of the
day, was on another level as she forged a winning partnership with reigning
African tennis champion Angella Okutoyi to see off the Tunisians in the
deciding Doubles match where they beat Chiraz Bechri/Ranim Rassil 6-2, 6-3 to
hand Kenya an overall 2-1 win.
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Rassil had gotten the edge over Cheruto, who could not just
get her first serves to work for large parts in the first Singles match, with a
2-6, 4-6 win that gave the Tunisians an early lead.
Okutoyi however ensured that the game would need to be
decided in the Doubles tie as she beat Bechri 6-3, 7-6 in a tough match that
needed a tiebreaker in the second set which Okutoyi won 11-9 to tie the encounter
at 1-1.
It is in the deciding Doubles match that Cheruto came alive
as her serving and volleying showed a player on a mission to get done with some
unfinished business which she managed to achieve in front of a supportive home
crowd.
“I feel so good right now. I lost a very tough Singles match
where I did my best but ended up losing. In the Doubles, I put more effort and
worked on my serve which started to work.
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Also, when I play Doubles with Okutoyi, I am more confident because I trust her shots which gives me the motivation,” Cheruto told SportPesa News.
Okutoyi was left delighted with the win which she labelled
as the best Doubles match she has played with Cheruto who she got Silver with
at the 2023 All-Africa games held in Accra, Ghana.
“In Doubles, this was the best match we have played together
because her serves, volleys and strokes were really good and she was setting me
up well on the net. We did not give a lot of free points as well and we were always
there mentally and physically,” she remarked.
“We started down but I was just trying not to focus on the
score but to go and play my game and do it for the team. I feel it worked really
well and the crowd helped which felt nice,” Okutoyi added on her Singles win
that restored parity.
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The win left Kenya with two wins from two and a tough final
pool match against Burundi with the winners of that clash assured a ticket to
the promotion playoff.
Burundi, who boast of Sada Nahimana and Hoziane Kitambala
who have impressed in the tournament, stunned Tunisia on Monday before easily
brushing aside Mauritius on Tuesday.
Elsewhere, South Africa and Nigeria claimed easy wins
against Madagascar and Ghana respectively to top Pool A and C.
The two sides are also in for interesting ties on Wednesday, facing Zimbabwe and Botswana in mouthwatering matches.