Help me, help me!
Agony on court as player howls after horror fall
A TENNIS player was left crying out in agony after she suffered a serious knee injury in a fall at Wimbledon yesterday.
American Bethanie Mattek-Sands, 32, let out a series of blood-curdling screams, shouting ‘Help me!’, after collapsing on court in the third set of her match against Romanian Sorana Cirstea.
She begged her opponent to come to her aid as she cried out while clutching her leg. Screaming as she lay on the grass, she said: ‘Please help me, please, please’ as the hushed crowd looked on in horror.
Miss Cirstea rushed towards her before turning away in shock after seeing her rival’s knee jutting out. Last night, Miss Cirstea criticised the speed at which emergency services reached Miss MattekSands, 32, – although the All England Lawn Tennis Club said they were at her side within one minute.
Miss Cirstea, 27, told a press conference: ‘I saw she was on the floor. Then, yeah, she started screaming. I went over. I saw her knee out…I turned around and told them to bring a stretcher or something. Because I think everyone froze. No one was having any reaction… ‘(It) took a while until the medical team was there.’
Miss Mattek- Sands’ knee appeared to give way as she rushed towards the net to take a shot. Footage shows the player, ranked No 1 in the world for doubles and 103rd for singles, writhing on the ground while her husband Justin hugs her. Her doubles partner Lucie Safarova was seen sobbing on court 17. Miss Cirstea described the incident as ‘shocking’, adding: ‘Her knee was in a very weird position. I’ve never seen anything like this probably except in the movies. And, yeah, I panicked a little bit…’
Last night many fans took to social media and criticised what appeared to be a slow response from the medical team.
Jack Edgley tweeted: ‘The reaction time of medics etc at #Wimbledon for that Mattek-Sands injury was appalling.’
But the AELTC insisted: ‘The first response to Court 17 was within one minute, by a qualified ambulance technician. The player was kept on court while pain relief was given. The player was then transferred directly to an ambulance and taken under emergency conditions to a hospital.’