TENNIS star Tracey Powell smashed a county record by winning the Hereford and Worcester County Closed Championship ladies' singles title for the eighth time.

Bewdley Tennis Club's prolific coach defeated Redditch's Pauline Fisher 6-1, 6-2 to break the previous best set by Jane Poynder.

Powell, 27, also triumphed in the ladies doubles final with partner Elizabeth Veal, defeating mother and daughter team Pauline and Katherine Fisher 6-3, 6-2.

But her hopes of a hat-trick were denied at Manor Park, Malvern, when she narrowly lost to Mark and Laura Siviter 7-5, 7-6 in the mixed doubles while partnering Jim Sylvester.

Powell, who lives in Bromyard, has now won the ladies' tournament six times in a row without dropping a set.

She admitted: "I'm waiting for all these youngsters I'm coaching to come up and challenge me!

"I won the singles fairly comfortably and the doubles but the mixed was a very close match.

"Coaching at Bewdley has improved me as a player as lots of people hit the ball quite hard there!"

Powell was tempted to go to the gruelling pre-tournament qualifying for Wimbledon but never made it and now intends to try next year.

Meanwhile, she has helped Bewdley Ladies A team win four out of five matches in Hereford and Worcester League Division One.

A number of promising girls are emerging at the Wyre Forest club, including 10-year-old Chelsea Gordon who has started county training.