These breaks are making me uncomfortable

THERE has been some spectacular and entertaining tennis at Wimbledon this year.

But the enjoyment has been wrecked in far too many cases by injury timeouts and ‘comfort’ breaks.

I’ve never known so many long breaks in play for medical treatment.

Sometimes the break lasts 10 minutes by the time the trainer arrives at the court, assesses the situation, and gives the treatment. That’s ridiculous. It’s unfair on the opponent, the spectators and the TV audience.

The same thing applies to toilet breaks.

I’d nothing but admiration for the way Jo Konta performed, but I didn’t like her going absent for about five minutes after the second set of her win over Simona Halep.

When I was playing, I never went off court for a toilet break, nor did any of my opponents.

I never received treatment on court. In fact, back then there was no such thing as a medical time-out.

If you had an injury, you dealt with it yourself and just got on with it.

You can’t tell me it’s not a tactical move in many cases.

Are players’ bladders weaker these days? Is it what they drink that forces them to take a toilet break? I don’t think so.

The authorities have to clamp down on these delays or tennis will lose its appeal as a spectator sport.