‘There was a hole in the middle of the court’: Novak Djokovic blasts Wimbledon grass amid injury scare
Second seed overcomes Adrian Mannarino in straight sets but needs treatment on shoulder problem under Centre Court roof
Three-time champion Novak Djokovic overcame an injury scare to reach the Wimbledon quarter-finals for the ninth time on Tuesday and then lashed out at the Centre Court, claiming a hole has opened up on the famous surface.
The second seed needed treatment on his long-standing right shoulder injury during his 6-2, 7-6 (7-5), 6-4 win over France’s Adrian Mannarino.
But as well as worrying about the state of his shoulder, the 30-year-old slammed the poor quality of the All England Club courts.
“I told the chair umpire that there was a hole in the middle of the court on the service line. I showed him and he was not very pleased about it,” said Djokovic.
“The courts are not great this year and many of the players feel the same. I am sure the groundsmen are the best in the world, but grass is the most complex surface to maintain.