James Andrews School of Golf

FRANCES Candy has returned to local soil with a pair of global tennis medals proudly hanging around her neck.

The St Leonards-based player won bronze medals at the ITF Seniors' World Tennis Championship and the World Open in Durban, South Africa.

She helped Great Britain win a third place play-off in the former event before reaching the semi-finals of the ladies' doubles in the latter competition.

"I'm very pleased indeed," she said. "The weather was very hot and the competition was very hard, but I managed to come through. I didn't feel I played as I can play, but I'm very happy with the outcome."

The team tournament was first up and Candy helped the British team, which was seeded three after its fourth place finish in 2005, qualify for the semi-finals by topping its four-strong group.

She won her doubles match and lost her singles encounter in the opening 2-1 defeat of France before triumphing in both her singles and doubles during the 2-1 win over Germany and 3-0 victory against Slovenia.

Candy then enjoyed success in the doubles but singles disappointment as Britain lost 2-1 against USA in the semi-finals.

A close-fought 7-5, 7-6 singles win after two-and-a-quarter hours in 100 degree heat secured a 2-0 victory over Austria in the third place play-off and Britain's first medal in the ladies' 50-54 age group for 11 years.

The following week yielded an identical result in the women's doubles alongside Redditch-based Pauline Fisher.

They began with a tough 7-5, 6-3 defeat of an American pairing before losing by the rather unusual scoreline of 6-0, 0-6, 6-7 (5-7) against an Australian duo. Both losing semi-final combinations were awarded medals.

Candy also reached the quarter-finals of the ladies' singles where she succumbed 6-4, 6-3 to the same American player that beat her last year. She previously overcame two South African players 7-5, 6-2 and 7-6, 6-1 on the slow, bouncy hard courts.

The Sedlescombe Golf Club and Rye Lawn Tennis Club coach won a silver in the doubles, reached the quarter-finals of the singles and helped Great Britain finish fourth in the team competition last year.

She also won the singles and doubles titles at the 2005 National Veterans' Indoor Championships, plus the singles prize in the National Grass Court Championships.