PLAY Your Way to Wimbledon is a very prestigious tennis tournament and two Devon Ladies did just that!

Jacqui Warrender and Sarah Fielder, of Avon Vale Lawn Tennis Club, made it all the way to SW19 and what a rollercoaster experience it turned out to be.

Having won the regional finals back in June, the duo earned their spot at the home of tennis.

The qualifying regional finals was an LTA organised event hosted by Avon Vale LTC. The pair won four matches, topped off by a championship tiebreak win over an Exeter University pair.

Sarah had actually played at Wimbledon as a teenager but for Jacqui, this was a whole new experience. The strict all-white dress code includes shoes, so a bit of shopping was necessary!

Jacqui booked the accommodation (a beautiful Georgian property not too far from the courts) and recruited Avon Vale supporters and fellow Avon Vale members (Barbara and Julie). Seven weeks later, the four of them set off for the finals.

On Wednesday, August 6, the Devon team arrived at the gates of Wimbledon, signed in and joined the exciting buzz of anticipation from all the players. They reported to the player desk at the Aorangi Pavillion where they were presented with a tennis bag filled with lots of tennis goodies including a hoodie, water bottle, bag tag and a £25 per day loaded card for food and drink.

The view from the Pavillion was of around 15 beautiful grass courts full of players of all ages, all dressed in their whites. It just looked lovely and so British, with the green grass and stunning blue sky.

Sarah and Jacqui were interviewed by the Wimbledon Press Office and had photos taken, and it wasn’t long before they were called to their court to play their first match. Their opponents were Abi Matthews and Anna Webster from Avon.

They were put on court three which was nearest the pavilion so there were plenty of spectators. The nerves subsided and just the joy of playing on a Wimbledon court prevailed and play started. It was a very tight and competitive first set.

The Devon girls had points to win the first set and looked strong overall but eventually went down 7-6. Against the Avon pair, they were then all set and had a good start, 40-0 up in the first game of the second set.

Suddenly, in a second, the whole situation changed… Sarah went down and the physio was called. They instantly knew their Wimbledon journey was very likely over. What a shame. All the supporters, including Paul Eden (Avon Vale’s Chairman) were consoling and obviously very concerned for Sarah.

The pair withdrew from the tournament on Thursday morning, having spent several hours at St George’s A&E on Wednesday night. Sarah came away with some consolation crutches – not quite the plan but they both played at Wimbledon and gave it their best. For opportunities to Play Your Way to Wimbledon you can sign up to events in Devon via the LTA website.

Jacqui was extremely lucky to be invited to play at The Queen’s Club on Thursday via Paul Eden, joined by Barbara Robillard. What a great consolation and amazing memories made. Sarah is waiting for an MRI and hopefully she has a speedy recovery.