'Please help me!': Tennis star suffers sickening knee injury
Players have criticised medics' apparent slow response after an American tennis star's agonising cries for help were heard across Wimbledon when she suffered a sickening knee injury overnight.
Bethanie Mattek-Sands was tied at one set apiece with her Romaninan opponent Sorana Cirstea when her leg buckled underneath her.
Falling to the ground, the 32-year-old clutched at her knee as she made a desperate shriek for help in what to the injured American and her opponent seemed like a long and agonising time.
“Help me! Help me please! I need help please! F***!” she screamed as medics ran to her assistance.
Mattek-Sands' leg buckled underneath her in the first round of the third set. Source: Getty Images
Sorana Cirstea checks in on her injured opponent during their second round clash. Source: Getty Images
“F*** it hurts, f*** me it hurts. Have you given me any f****** painkillers?
“These painkillers are not working,” she was heard saying as she laid on the court.
“Please knock me out, please knock me out.”
Lucie Safarova in tears, seeing her doubles partner and now close friend Bethanie Mattek-Sands, still being tended to. #Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/mTkJVqDXe3
— Andrew Jerell Jones (@sluggahjells) July 6, 2017
Cirstea has since questioned why it took the medics so long to tend to the visibly distraught opponent.
“I went over and saw her knee out and turned around and told them to bring a stretcher because I think everyone froze,” she told the Mirror.
“She went into shock and saying ‘Sorana help me, Sorana help me, Sorana help me’ and I said ‘I am here, you are strong you can do this’ but I felt useless.
The 32-year-old could be seen clutching at her knee as she pleaded with medics to give her painkillers. Source: YouTube
Wimbledon medics were accused of taking too long to treat the injured player. Source: Getty Images
“It was heartbreaking because she went into shock and it took a while until the medical team was there … Her knee was in a very weird position. I have never seen anything like this except in the movies."
Wimbledon took to Twitter to defend their reaction times, saying the first paramedic was on court 17 within a minute of the injuring taking place.
AELTC statement (1/3): The first response to Court 17 was within 1 minute, by a qualified ambulance technician
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 6, 2017
AELTC statement (2/3): The player was kept on court while pain relief was given
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 6, 2017
AELTC statement (3/3): The player was then transferred directly to an ambulance and taken under emergency conditions to a hospital
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 6, 2017