GAIL Webster marked her retirement from tennis with victory in the ladies' doubles at Leigh & Westcliff LTA held its annual winter championships.

The win crowned more than 20 years of competition with the association that has seen the Kent Elms player notch up a hat-ful of successes.

Sunday's 6-2 6-2 triumph over fellow Kent Elms players Jo Hancock and Stephanie Haddrell was Webster's 19th L&W crown.

The match was a replay of many other finals between the trio and Webster's doubles partner Mandy White, with the win making it a total of seven ladies' winter doubles wins for Webster and White.

"Gail has always played the game in a positive, but very friendly way, and has been well liked throughout her 20-plus years of Leigh & Westcliff tennis," said a spokesman for the association.

Webster has been part of the successful Kent Elms league and cup teams since joining the Aviation Way, Westcliff, club from the Access club in 1992.

She won the winter ladies' doubles in 1987, 1989, 1991, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007.

Summer ladies' doubles victories came in 1987, 1989, 1990, 1992, 2000, 2003, 2004 and 2005, with veteran ladies' doubles titles coming in 2000, 2003, 2004 and 2005.

Chris Gardiner made it a hat-trick of men's doubles successes when Leigh & Westcliff LTA held it's annual winter championships.

With his brother Paul away at university, Gardiner teamed up with Leigh clubmate Ian Beverley against Daniel Thrale and James Thompson.

Gardiner and Beverley beat their fellow Leigh members 6-4 6-4 to give Beverley his first L&W men's winter doubles title.

And Gardiner teamed up with clubmate Lauren Duffield to successfully defend their mixed doubles title.

They found themselves trailing 1-4 in both sets against fellow Leigh members Thrale and Katrina Duffield, Lauren's sister, before the defending champions fought their way back to record a 7-5 6-4 success.

Thorpe Bay pairing Trevor Margerison and Trevor Brown won their first men's doubles plate with a 6-3 6-1 victory over Invicta's Andrew Tanner and Andy Deeming.

There was also a maiden ladies' doubles plate triumph for Debra Rose and Karen Mills from Rayleigh, who beat Leigh duo Jane Hunter and Claire Elliott 6-2 6-3.

And in the only three-set match of the day, Beverley won his second title of the year by partnering Leigh clubmate Gemma Smith to victory.

They vanquished reigning champions Paul Gutteridge and Lisa Gordon, also from Leigh, 6-4 3-6 7-5 to regain the trophy they won for the first time in 2005.

It was the 22nd time the winter championships have been held, with this year's finals being hosted by Rochford LTC and sponsored by Steggles & Co.