COURTS SEEM A BIT DATED

THE Wimbledon courts are playing like those of 30 years ago claims Ivan Lendl, with the turf being given some extra TLC yesterday. Bethanie Mattek-Sands suffered a sickening knee injury last week in a fall and some players have criticised the playing surfaces. Additional watering was ordered on middle Sunday, and the Centre Court roof again kept closed until 4pm to keep down the temperature and relieve the stress on the grass.

All practice was restricted to the Aorangi Park section of the All England Club complex, with competition courts rested. Lendl, 57, who reached the second of his Wimbledon finals in 1987 when he lost to Australian Pat Cash, said: “The weather obviously has a lot to do with how the courts play.

“It reminds me a little bit of 1987 when we had no rain and the courts played extremely fast.”