LONDON — Serious questions were being asked of
Wimbledon's fabled
grass courts on Wednesday following
Serena Williams's tearful,
tournament-ending injury with Australian firebrand Nick Kyrgios branding them
"a joke".
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Williams, the seven-time Wimbledon champion, slipped and hurt her
heavily-strapped right leg before quitting her first round tie after just six
games against
Aliaksandra Sasnovich.
The American superstar twice fell to the floor of Centre Court, struggling
to get back to her feet on the second occasion.
In tears, she waved to all sides of the court prompting speculation that she
had played her last Wimbledon singles match.
"I was heartbroken to have to withdraw," said the 39-year-old who
remains one Slam short of Margaret Court's record of 24.
Her heart-stopping fall came not long after French player Adrian Mannarino
had slipped and hurt himself on the same part of Centre Court.
He too had to retire with his match against Roger Federer level at two sets
apiece.
"I do feel it feels a tad more slippery maybe under the roof,"
said Federer.
"You do have to move very, very carefully out there. If you push too
hard in the wrong moments, you do go down.
"I do feel it's drier during the day. With the wind and all that stuff,
it takes the moisture out of the grass."
'More slippery,
soft'
However, Federer, who has won eight Wimbledon titles and played 115 matches
at the tournament, insists the courts are no different from other years.
"I don't think it plays very different. It's always been like this. I
feel for a lot of players, it's super key to get through those first two rounds
because the grass is more slippery, it is more soft.
"As the tournament progresses, usually it gets harder and easier to
move on."
Australia's Nick Kyrgios, playing under the roof on Court One, was also
dismissive of the conditions.
"Guys, for you watching at home, it should be fast here, that's grass
court tennis," Kyrgios was overheard saying before his match with Ugo
Humbert was suspended for the night at 3-3 in the final set.
"It's a joke. Try watering it. Make it a grass court again."
Despite the criticism, the All England Club insisted that the courts are up
to standard.
"The preparation of the grass courts has been to exactly the same
meticulous standard as in previous years," the club said in a statement.
"The weather conditions on the opening two days have been the wettest
we have experienced in almost a decade, which has required the roof to be
closed on Centre Court and No.1 Court for long periods.
"This is at a time when the grass plant is at its most lush and green,
which does result in additional moisture on what is a natural surface."
The tournament has been hit by heavy rain over the the first two days.
As a result 50 first round singles matches remain unfinished.
Wimbledon is the only Grand Slam tournament to be played on grass and is, as
a result, more sensitive to the vagaries of the weather.
In 2013, Maria Sharapova branded the courts as "dangerous" after
falling three times on Court Two and was knocked out.
Fellow former number one Victoria Azarenka withdrew from the same tournament
with an ankle injury after a fall while Caroline Wozniacki slipped, twisted her
ankle and also exited.
Australia's Pat Cash, who won Wimbledon in 1987, described players as
looking like "Bambi on ice".
"Grass courts are slippy and that is the challenge of playing on
them," he told the BBC's Today at Wimbledon program.
"They have three different phases — very slippery, slippery on the
outside and then towards the end of the tournament we get dust. It makes it
really tricky."
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