Wimbledon officials have sought to reassure players about the quality of playing surfaces at Wimbledon after several expressed concern about the potential damage done by high temperatures and dry weather.
Special measures will be put in place on Friday to protect players, staff and spectators from the heat, with temperatures expected to be high again on the fifth day of the tournament.
Wimbledon officials confirmed the roof would be closed on Centre Court from 8am until 12pm to protect it from the sunshine, and opened before afternoon play begins.
The roof is closed here on #centrecourt #wimbledon pic.twitter.com/lpWFIartfG
— Rufus The Hawk (@RufusTheHawk) July 7, 2017
Concerns about the grass were raised after Bethanie Mattek-Sands from the US was taken to hospital after screaming in pain following a knee injury in the third set against Sorana Cîrstea on Court 17. She could be heard screaming: “Please help me, please, please.”
It is not known if the surface of the court played a part in the injury, but Kristina Mladenovic, who was beaten by Alison Riske, was outspoken about the quality of the surface on Court 18. After the game she said her main concern had been getting off the court uninjured.
“Honestly, the feeling is that I couldn’t care less if I lost the match today, I just want to be healthy,” said the French 12th seed. “I’m just so blessed and happy that I am not injured today, because we saw worse today.”
Speaking in a press conference later, Mladenovic said: “It’s very slippery. There’s no grass. I don’t know how to describe it. It’s not even clay. It’s not flat.
“I feel it’s totally different than the previous years. But, you know, I’m not criticising. I’m not an expert at all on grass courts. I guess the climate doesn’t help, the fact that it’s too nice, too hot, too sunny, makes everything very dry. That’s what we got as an answer from the officials.”
The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club (AELTC) said senior officials had inspected Court 18 during the Mladenovic v Riske match, and judged it to be playable. In a statement the AELTC said: “The court preparation has been to exactly the same meticulous standard as in previous years. Grass is a natural surface and it is usual for the baselines to start to be showing signs of wear and tear four days into the Championships.”
It assured players that hardness readings were taken every morning to ensure the right level of moisture.
But Switzerland’s Timea Bacsinszky, who won on Thursday against Slovakia’s Kristína Kučová, said she was “kind of pretty disappointed about the quality of the grass of this year”, adding that Court 18 was particularly bad.
“I played two days ago. I’m not saying it’s dangerous or something, but it was the second day of the tournament, and it was already ruined,” she said. “Usually you see that after a week … Probably a lot of players have been saying that. I’m not the only one. That’s why I take the risk to say it. Sorry, Wimbledon, it’s not against you, but there are improvements to do on this thing.”
Asked about the grass, Roger Federer said that in a “good, warm, nice week” it could get “beat up and used”. He said: “Sometimes it’s not attached any more. You know, it’s like dead grass. It changes colour. And that bit can be slippery.”
Asked if this year was worse, he said: “Possibly, because it’s been extremely hot today and yesterday. So that’s why maybe – that’s what we are hearing. It’s not a good sign, and you should always take the players’ opinion seriously, especially when both say it.”
Temperatures are expected to be high again on Friday, but the threat of sunburn and heatstroke did not put off hundreds of eager tennis fans who began queuing early in the hope of seeing four Britons take part in the third round for the first time in 20 years. By 8am tournament organisers warned there were already more people in the queue than the grounds had capacity for, and advised other hopefuls not to travel.
There are more people in #theQueue than Grounds capacity for today. We strongly advise those intending to queue not to travel to #Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/dC30sCaTi5
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 7, 2017
The defending champion, Andy Murray, plays Italy’s Fabio Fognini on Centre Court at about 5pm. The pair have competed against each other since they were 12. Britain’s No 1 Johanna Konta will also hope to further her title challenge, playing Maria Sakkari of Greece on Court 1 at around 3pm.
Heather Watson plays the two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka in the opening match on Centre Court at about 1pm. Aljaž Bedene takes on Luxembourg’s Gilles Müller in the first match on Court 2 at about 11.30am.
Other matches to look out for include Rafael Nadal, Simona Halep and Venus Williams.
Friday will be warm and fine but not as hot as Thursday. The Met Office is predicting highs of 26C (79F) on Friday and 23C on Saturday, but with more cloud cover on both days.
Ball boys and girls will wear protective caps that cover the neck, while officials will be given the chance to take water breaks and move into shaded areas. Stewards will be directing people to water points to make sure they remain hydrated and will be on high alert to help spectators who appear to be struggling in the heat.
The blazing sun caused problems for many spectators at Wimbledon on Thursday, with St John Ambulance having to treat 60 for problems related to the heat.
A spokeswoman said: “We can confirm that around 60 people were treated today for heat-related symptoms due to the hot weather and the majority of these were during 1.30-3pm.”
St John Ambulance advised visitors to beware of heat exhaustion and heatstroke. “It’s essential that people spot the signs, such as a headache and dizziness, move somewhere cool and get rehydrated as soon as possible,” she said. “We recommend the following advice for staying safe in the sun and enjoying the tennis: keep your shoulders covered, wear a hat, apply sun cream and stay hydrated.”
