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Basford Veteran Helps Win World Title For Great Britain

TENNIS

BASFORD veteran June Fisher and her Great Britain team-mates captured a gold medal at the ITF Super Seniors World Team Championships in Australia. The foursome's victory in the women's over-65s event also meant Great Britain claimed the Kitty Godfree Cup for the first time in more than a decade. Fisher and her side were the only British team to claim a title in Perth.

A total of 21 countries took part in men's and women's events in age groups ranging from over-60s to over-80s. But Fisher and her team-mates stole the limelight for Britain when they defeated the host nation in the final.

It was the Basford player's first call-up to the British team, and she said: "It was something I never dreamed I would do. It was such a wonderful experience and I learned a lot by watching all the top players compete.

"It was my first attempt at a world championship and I couldn't believe it when I was going up for my medal. And it was really nice to be part of the whole British team, not just the over-65s.

"There was a tremendous team spirit between all the players and I wouldn't have missed it for anything."

Britain beat Japan 3-0 and South Africa 2-1, before losing to Australia 2-1 in the group stages. Despite that result, they topped the division and then secured a 3-0 semi-final victory over France to earn another shot at Australia in the final.

At the second attempt the Brits avenged their earlier defeat, with Surrey's Sue Hill and Jenny Waggott of Warwickshire clinching singles victories to give them an unassailable lead.

Fisher teamed up with Jackie Boothman (Dorset) and narrowly lost the doubles, but the side had already done enough to claim the gold medal. Fisher also captured a bronze medal by reaching the semi-finals in the over-65s doubles competition with Hill. The pair earned a straight sets victory in the quarter-final against the Australian number four seeds, Margaret Wayte and Lesley Heumiller, before losing 7-6, 6-1 in the semi-final to German top seeds Heidi Orth and Petro Kruger.

Sentinel, 24 November 2009
Courtesy of The Sentinel News & Media