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Former Junior Wimbledon star serves up Guinness World Record
A FORMER Junior Wimbledon star from Stanley has served up an ace by becoming a Guinness World Record holder.
Tennis professional Judith Gibson had been involved in a ten-month battle to prove she holds the record for 'most wins of a tennis club singles championships (female)'.
But she pulled out a strong of aces to provide the evidence required, and recently received her certificate and letter of confirmation.
The former Wakefield Tennis Club player won 22 consecutive singles championships at the club between 1969 and 1990 before retiring undefeated.
The run is 12 more than the previous record holder, Lisa King, from West Herts and Watford Lawn Tennis Club, who bagged 12 titles between 1996 and 2007.
And although there was nothing lucky about Gibon's scintillating form on the court, she the tennis ace admits fortune was involved in initially finding out she was a record holder.
"I'd played a match last April in Leamington Spa and was having some food after when I was glancing around and noticed a certificate in a frame on the wall," she said.
"Being nosey, I noticed that it was a Guinness World Record for most female singles championships won consecutively and I said that I'd won more than that."
Gibson has enjoyed an illustrious career on the court, qualifying for Junior Wimbledon and playing against British tennis legend Sue Barker in the doubles competition.
Other successes include selection for Yorkshire at junior, senior and veteran level, where she still plays.
And although she's now based at Hallamshire Tennis Club, alongside her Yorkshire team mates, she still has time to help coach budding young players at Sandal Tennis Club.
To read this story in full, see Friday's Wakefield Express Sport.
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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