Wimbledon officials today insisted their courts had been prepared the same way as in previous years as the grass continued to claim victims. Seven players had already withdrawn on Wednesday for a variety of reasons when Maria Sharapova slipped during her Court Two defeat.

Sharapova described the court as “dangerous”.

“The withdrawals have occurred for a variety of reasons, but there have been some suggestion that the court surface is to blame. We have no reason to think this is the case. Although a number of players have withdrawn injured, only one player has attributed this to slipping over on court.”

Former British number one Tim Henman also defended the state of the surface, telling the BBC: “The courts are in the same shape they always have been. It’s bizarre how all these injuries are happening this year. I’m as interested as everyone else as to why there have been so many injuries as the courts are in fantastic shape.”

Richard Lewis defended the court preparation, adding it was to “exactly the same meticulous standard as in previous years and it is well known that grass surfaces tend to be more lush at the start of an event.

“The factual evidence, which is independently checked, is that the courts are almost identical to last year, as dry and firm as they should be, and we expect them to continue to play to their usual high quality.”

According to former Wimbledon champion Boris Becker, the problem is not in the nature of the court but the preparation by players. With just two weeks between the end of the French Open on the red clay of Paris and the start of Wimbledon, players have a slender window to get used to the grass.

“A short grass court season is definitely part of the problem with the injuries,” the German told the BBC. “Grass court tennis is different to other surfaces, it is only two weeks of action after a long clay court season. Players need to give themselves more of chance. The grass is the same.”

Source: BBC