Maria Sharapova leads way in Wimbledon injury crisis

Maria Sharapova wants Wimbledon to allow players to practise on their cherished show courts in an effort to ease the injury crisis that has plagued the tournament.

The Russian third seed and 2004 champion suffered a painful second-round exit at the hands of Portuguese qualifier Michelle Larcher de Brito, the world 131, on the unfamiliar surroundings of Court Two.

Sharapova slipped three times, complained the surface was dangerous and needed a medical time-out to treat the left hip she injured in her falls.

She believes that players should be allowed to practise on the show courts at Wimbledon before the tournament starts to help them familiarise themselves with the conditions.

"Especially those courts, even Centre Court, Court One, Two, Three, maybe having the opportunity to practise on them a few days before, because no one can practise on them," Sharapova said. "The first few days, you just know that they're going to just be really different."

De Brito, who won 6-3, 6-4, believed that Court Two was treacherous.