Senior tennis: Ohakune ace Karen Cranston to captain Kiwi team at world senior champs in Portugal

A year on from winning the open mixed doubles at the Taupo seniors with Andy Mellor, Karen Cranston will captain her New Zealand women's 55-year age group team at the worlds in Portugal.

Ohakune tennis ace Karen Cranston has hit form at the right time as she heads off to the TF Seniors World Team and Individual Championships 2019 in Portugal.

Cranston will captain her New Zealand 55 year age group four-woman team in Lisbon and Estoril, Portugal from Sunday, August 4 to Saturday, August 17 where they will represent New Zealand in week on and themselves and New Zealand in week two.

This will be Cranston's third world championship after competing in France and Turkey in the past few years.

"Florida last year didn't appeal and it was different circumstances, so I didn't go, but this year my team is probably the best bunch I've very had to travel with," Cranston said.

At one point Cranston was ranked 11th in her age group at world seniors level and while she was unsure of her current ranking, she was happy with her lead-up form.

"I have just come back from Australia (Perth) where I beat their No 3 and that age group team is ranked fourth at the worlds, so that's encouraging. In week one we play the teams event for our countries and week two the individual singles, doubles and mixed doubles.

"You can play with anyone in the individual competition, but I will be playing with my regular New Zealand mixed doubles partner John Lawrence from Blockhouse Bay in Auckland.

"We've won numerous New Zealand titles together and have a great on-court rapport. My women's team that includes players from Auckland, Hamilton and Rotorua, is one of the best I've been involved in. We are all on the same page and are like-minded people, so we are going to get on."

New Zealand is sending 12 players in total, including 60s ladies and 60s men.