America’s Bethanie Mattek-Sands suffered a horror knee injury at Wimbledon on Thursday which left her screaming and crying in pain in the middle of the court.
The 32-year-old collapsed to the ground after damaging her right knee as she approached the net in the first game of the deciding set against Romania’s Sorana Cirstea on Court 17.
“Please help me, please, please,” screamed the 32-year-old in scenes so distressing that television cameras panned away from the stricken player.
Cirstea said she had never seen such an injury.
“I freaked out. I have never seen such an injury before, the knee was really in a bad position. It was like something you see only in the movies,” said Cirstea.
“I tried to comfort her but I panicked. I felt useless. All she kept saying was ‘Sorana, help me, help me.”
Messages of support poured in for Mattek-Sands, with her former doubles-partner Sania Mirza joining in the prayers for a speedy recovery.
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