Grass courts at Wimbledon remain grippy despite high-profile tumbles, says tournament director | Tennis News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: Jamie Baker, the tournament director of Wimbledon, assured on Friday that the grass courts were “good and grippy” despite several high-profile falls during the first week of the Grand Slam.
Baker’s comments came after notable slips by players, including Andy Murray, Venus Williams, Novak Djokovic and Alize Cornet, raised concerns about the court conditions.
Two-time champion Andy Murray suffered a nasty fall on Centre Court while serving for a two-sets-to-one lead in his second-round match against Stefanos Tsitsipas on Thursday. However, he quickly recovered and won the set. Similarly, Venus Williams fell heavily on her already-bandaged right knee during her first-round defeat to Elina Svitolina earlier in the week.

Officials assist after Venus Williams slipped. (AP Photo)
Novak Djokovic’s match on the same day experienced a delay of nearly 90 minutes due to a damp court, which prompted players to express concerns about the surface. Additionally, Alize Cornet slipped and fell on Centre Court during her match against defending champion Elena Rybakina but continued playing with heavy strapping.
Despite these incidents, Jamie Baker stated that players had not raised significant concerns about the state of the grass at the Grand Slam, even with the disruptions caused by rain.
“I’m really happy,” he said. “I think the surface is as good and as grippy as I can remember, to be honest, in the early part of the tournament. There have been a handful of slips, but not many at all.”
Baker acknowledged that Murray’s slip on Thursday raised concerns but highlighted that such incidents could happen at any stage of the tournament, including the final. He mentioned that the frequent use of the roof could contribute to the conditions on the court.

Novak Djokovic uses his towel to assist with drying the court after a rain break. (AP Photo)
Addressing the issue of the curfew at Wimbledon, Baker stated that officials would not alter the policy on start times to ensure earlier finishes during the Grand Slam. However, he mentioned that the matter was under constant review. The match between Murray and Tsitsipas was suspended late on Thursday due to the approaching 2200 GMT curfew, disappointing fans and players alike.
Baker emphasised the importance of taking a comprehensive view of the situation rather than making knee-jerk decisions based on isolated incidents. “What we’re really trying to do, particularly when it comes to the scheduling and tennis decisions, is try to avoid making a knee-jerk decision based on one or two matches and trying to take at least a three-year picture of what happens,” he explained.
While acknowledging the disappointment caused by the curfew incident, Baker indicated that if data showed such occurrences happened infrequently, perhaps once every five years, it might be acceptable within the overall balance of the tournament schedule.
(With inputs from AFP)