Mary Durrans, of the Huddersfield club, has won two national tennis titles.
On her 82nd birthday in Bournemouth, she became the International Tennis Federation’s British Open Clay Court Over 80s singles champion.
And then she added the doubles title in the same section, playing with partner Pamela McGrath from Preston.
Mary, who was born and brought up in Jersey but has lived in Huddersfield since the 1950s, has now been selected to captain a Great Britain team to play in the World Team Championships in Turkey later this year.
“I was persuaded to enter at Bournemouth by a couple of old friends of mine when I took part in a tournament at Dudley, and they said if I didn’t go in for it I might regret it,” said Mary, who has been playing tennis since she was old enough to hold a racket.
“They told me not to worry because they would find me a partner to play in the doubles, and Pamela came over to Huddersfield, practised with me and we just happened to click.”
In the singles, Mary defeated Pamela 6-2 6-3 in the semi-finals to book a place in the final against Betty Howard, the third seed, and again she triumphed 6-1 6-3.
The doubles featured a 6-2 6-1 win for Mary and Pamela against Rita Ronn and Anne Williams in the quarter-finals before a 2-6 6-1 (10-4) match tie-break victory over Jennifer Collins and Phyllis McEwan in the semi-finals.
In the final they were up against Betty Howard and Paul Wilson, the No1 seeds) and came through quite easily, 6-0 6-2.
“The reason we won the final was because we were both fit and we could both run!” smiled Mary.
“Betty Howard is 85 and she was exhausted by the time it came to the final, but they were enjoyable matches.”
Mary plays at Huddersfield Lawn Tennis and Squash Club as often as she can and splits tennis with her other sporting passion, golf.
A member at Fixby, Mary now plays off 16 but was once a single-figure player and prominent in the Yorkshire Veterans organisation.
She played for and captained the Yorkshire Over 50s and she has just finished being Yorkshire President.
“Lawrence Batley’s sponsor a tournament each year at Moortown for anyone who is over 80 and, when I reached that age, I went in for it,” she explained. “I had a purple day putting and managed to win it, playing against the men!”
Mary has been known on many occasions to play both golf and tennis in the one day, and she added: “I’m really looking forward to the event in Turkey, although I don’t know at this stage exactly what it entails.
“It’s wonderful to be representing Great Britain at the age of 82 – it’s like life is just beginning!”
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