Tennis may be dominated by twenty-something power players but when it comes to the racquet there’s no age bracket – Joan Hassell is proof of that.

The ace pensioner has just netted her best-ever court result after being crowned a world champion at 75 years old.

Joan, who isamember of Lexden Hill tennis club in Colchester, is celebrating after winning three medals at the ITF Super-Seniors World Team Championships in Croatia.

Joan, who has beenamember at Lexden Hill for six years, captained the Great Britain over-75s team at the event.

The grandmother has been in love with the sport since she started playing a schoolgirl. All these years later she says she still gets as much enjoyment out of running around on the court as she ever has.

“I love playing, I always have and I can’t think of a time when I won’t want to play,” said Joan, who along with tennis partner Jean Porter won the world ladies’ double champions in Croatia, without dropping a set.

Joan also won bronze in the individual championships and helped Great Britain secure a silver medal.

“It was an absolutelywonderful experience in Croatia and I thoroughly enjoyed it,” she added.

“ I don’t think I’ve had a better tennis achievement and I’ve waited until the age of 75 for it! It goes to showyou should never give up on your dreams – and never think you are past it.”

Joan got into the game quite by accident after she was discovered while playing in a school tennis tournament in Felixstowe.

“I went to a convent school,” she said, “and one day I was playing at a tournament, I think I was about 12 or 13, and a coach from the local YMCA club came up to me and asked if I wanted to join. I enjoyed playing so I thought ‘why not?’.”

It wasn’t long before Joan’s skill on the court became evident and she was crowned Suffolk junior champion. She went on to win a string of tournaments.

“It was different back then compared to how it is now,” she explained. “This was in the Fifties and we were playing with wooden racquets and white tennis balls.

There were fewer events and only one age group for juniors, the under-18s. Nowadays we have events from all ages, as young as under-eights.

“It was all about the fun for me back then. There wasn’t the pressure I can imagine a lot of young players face now.”

Over the years, Jean has served up winners on courts across the globe, including in Australia, Switzerland, Canada and Turkey.

Joan, who has also been a member of Sproughton Tennis Club in Suffolk for more than 25 years, still competes as often as she can.

“There are still some amazing older players still on the scene. I see players in their eighties still competing and I can tell you, they are in excellent shape.

“I’ve met so many interesting people through tennis. The social part of the sport is what I enjoy the most. Plus it keeps you so fit.”

That it does and Joan puts her fitness down to regular exercise and eating well.

“I always eat really heathily and I grow all my own vegetables in my garden,” she said.

It’s not just on the court where Joan is a fighter. She’s faced some pretty heavy health battles too.

Last year, Joan needed hospital treatment after doctors found she had an aneurysm on her spleen.

“I was having terrible pains in my side and at first they put it down to gallstones,” she said. “But a scan found it was this aneurysm.”

Six years ago she also had breast cancer which sawher undergoing a mastectomy.

“You’ve just got to pick yourself up and get on with life and enjoy the things you love,” said Jean. “I’m lucky to have had such wonderful support from my family and friends.”

So who is Jean’s tennis icon?

“I think AndyMurray is brilliant and a great sportsman because he is gracious in defeat. I also like Martina Hingis because she came back from a rough time to play her best again.”

Echo: Accomplished player – Joan in her younger days

Joan is as much of a fan of watching tennis as she is of playing it and over the years she has seen the best players in the world compete at Wimbledon.

“I’ve got friends who belong to the All England Lawn Tennis Club and I’ve been able to get tickets several times,” she said.

“It’s such a fantastic experience. I would say everyone should go there at least once if they can.”

Joan even played atWimbledon herself in her youth during a competition.

“It wasn’t Centre Court or anything,” she said. “ I think it was court number 18 or something. It would have been amazing to have played onCentre Court of course – any player would love that.”

Maybe one day, who knows?

“Well it’s unlikely now, but you never know!” laughed Joan. “I’m happy enough to just keep playing as often as I can.”