Basildon tennis ace Helen Crooks is out of the Natonal Championships in Bolton.
The 30-year-old new towner needed urgent treatment to stop an irregular heartbeat causing a stroke.
However, it didn't stop gritty Helen battling through to the quarter-finals of the ladies singles in Bolton -- where she gave top seed Julie Pullin a real fright.
Helen lost the first set 6-1, but took the second 6-2.
She held a 30-0 advantage on her opponent's serve early in the third and final set, but could not push home her advantage and finally lost the clincher 6-2.
Helen said: "I made two errors and that put paid to my hopes in that final set. I thought I was on top -- and that's always dangerous against Julie."
Published Friday October 25, 2002
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