Blackpool tennis player returns with gold and bronze medals

The 76-year-old has returned to the Fylde with gold and bronze medals from the International Tennis Foundation Masters World Championships in Spain and the European Club Championships in Turkey.

Selected to represent GB for the first time at over-75 level, Christine helped her team to finish fifth at the World Championships in Mallorca; narrowly missing out on the medal positions after defeat to Finland.

In the world individual championships which followed, Christine contested the singles and doubles competitions; winning a bronze medal partnering Anneke Jelsma from the Netherlands.

Moving on to Turkey this month, Christine and fellow members of the 45 Club team were rewarded for winning the National Inter-Club Over-70s doubles by representing England at the European Club Championship in Antalya.

The team comprising Christine, captain Rosemary Wilson and Frances MacLennan – both from Surrey – defeated teams from Netherlands, Italy and the UK to be crowned European champions.

Christine’s honours didn’t end there – at the World Championships, the Lancashire Over-75s stalwart was selected as GB flagbearer alongside Staffordshire’s Gordon Oates: the oldest member of the men’s team.

Oates, now 91, was the doubles partner of Christine’s husband Tom, who is the same age but retired from the game three years ago having represented GB at over-80 and over-85 levels.

Christine has no plans to hang up her racquet, though, and will be back on the biggest stage next year, having been selected for Europe Over-75s to contest the Friendship Cup with the USA in Austria.