With a home crowd rallying behind her and playing on her preferred clay surface, Okutoyi entered the match as the favourite.
However, the 95-minute clash proved to be a tale of missed chances for the African Games champion, with Garland securing a resounding 6-1, 6-4 victory.
Okutoyi was seeking revenge against the top-seeded Garland after a previous loss in December.
In their last meeting, Garland had edged Okutoyi in a hard-fought three-setter, winning 4-6, 6-2, 6-3.
This time, the Taiwanese player was even more clinical, snuffing out any hopes of an Okutoyi comeback.
Garland secured 35 WTA (Women’s Tennis Association) points along with a winner’s purse of Sh3.9 million ($30,000 ).
Okutoyi earned 23 points for her runner-up finish.
Okutoyi opened her campaign with a gritty 7-6, 6-3 win over Switzerland’s Katerina Tsygourova in the first round before dismantling China’s Yufei Ren 6-2, 6-4 in the second. In the quarterfinals, she showcased resilience, rallying to defeat Poland’s Monika Stankiewicz 4-6, 6-2, 6-1.
The semis saw her dig deep once again, overcoming another Polish opponent, Zuzanna Pawlikoska, in a thrilling 7-6, 3-6, 6-3 encounter.
Meanwhile, Garland’s path to glory included a 6-1, 6-4 victory over India’s Vanshita Pathania in Round One followed by a 6-1, 6-1 victory over China’s Lexue Xiao in round two.
In the quarterfinals, she bested Italy’s Francesca Pace 7-6, 6-0 before going on to overcome Belgium’s Vicky Van De Peer 6-7, 6-4, 6-1 in the semis.
Despite the singles disappointment, Okutoyi capped off her week with a doubles gold medal alongside Burundi’s Sada Nahimana on Saturday.
The dynamic duo defeated the Dutch pair of Demi Tran and Lian Tran 6-3, 6-3 to claim the title.
The win marked a special milestone for Okutoyi, who celebrated her first doubles gold after two previous silvers.
“Third time’s a charm! After two
silvers, I’ve finally gotten gold with
the best partner, Sada Nahimana, in
the W35 Nairobi,” Okutoyi shared
on her X account.
