Candy nets national title double

The St Leonards-based player won the over-60 women’s singles and doubles in Dudley to continue her excellent record in the event over recent years.

Candy dropped just four games in her first three singles matches, whitewashing Alison Meakin 6-0, 6-0 in round one before seeing off Valerie Alder 6-1, 6-0 and Diana Smith 6-2, 6-1 in the quarter-finals and semi-finals respectively.

Those results set up a final against Pauline Fisher, who captained the Great Britain team which won the Alice Marble Cup for over-60 women at the 2014 Super-Seniors World Team Championships. Candy herself was a key figure in that triumphant squad.

Fisher was the number one seed by virtue of her higher world ranking, but it was second seed Candy who prevailed 6-2, 7-5.

Candy broke the Fisher serve at the end of a long game fairly early in the first set and proceeded to race away with the set thereafter. Candy trailed for much of the second set, but broke to love to clinch victory.

“I’m pleased with how I played,” said Candy, who wished to thank her training venue Amherst LTC. “I was sharp and I was mentally sharp as well; I’ve been working hard on that.”

Candy and Fisher joined forces to capture the doubles. The number one seeds had to come from behind to defeat Caroline Blincoe and Jane Ling 3-6, 6-2, (10-6) in the semi-finals before outgunning Gillian Bostelmann and Smith 6-2, 6-2 in a final featuring some very good rallies.

Rye LTC head coach Candy, meanwhile, has been named in the Great Britain squad which will attempt to defend its world title in La Baule, France, during June.

Candy has also been invited to represent the International Lawn Tennis Club of Great Britain against the IC of USA for the Ted Avory Cup in Charleston, South Carolina, at the end of August.

“I’m thrilled to be on the team of course and to represent my country in a different situation,” she added.