By JARROD POTTER
SEASON’S end held special meaning for Berwick Tennis Club player Jenny Patterson, as she notched her 1000th competition match.
Patterson reached number 1000 on Wednesday representing her beloved Berwick Tennis Club as it battled Upper Beaconsfield in the last match of the Dandenong District Association Wednesday Section-2 season.
Team captain Rhonda Willoughby made sure Patterson would cross the mark this year by not scheduling any rostered days off for the long-serving playing member – who has been at the club well over 30 years.
While it wasn’t meant to be for Berwick, losing to Upper Beaconsfield in the season ending match-up, everyone congratulated Patterson off the court as she reached the momentous milestone.
“She’s very special to us – she would be our longest standing current playing member,” Berwick team captain Rhonda Willoughby said.
“It’s amazing and she’s not been injured – kept playing throughout the years – and that’s the amazing thing.
“Jenny has only ever played at Berwick wants to come back next year and we’ve made it perfectly clear to her that next time she plays she’s back to just one (game) again.”
Berwick Tennis Club president Shane Fielding thought Patterson’s achievements were incredible and to reach 1000 games was an indication of her passion for the sport and commitment to the club.
“It’s outstanding,” Fielding said of Patterson’s achievement.
“To be able to play for that long and usually when you’re playing a game like tennis, you’d have some injuries that may hold you back, but to get to a 1000 games, when you’re only playing… maybe 16 games a year, is quite a few consecutive years of tennis to be rolling out.”
“It’s something the club is very proud of and we’re proud that she’s one of the few to get to that sort of level of competition games.”
