Serena Williams retires hurt after injuring ankle at Wimbledon; Roger Federer scrapes into second round

Slippery grass has been blamed for match-ending injuries to a tearful Serena Williams and the opponent of Roger Federer.

Serena Williamswithdraws from her women's singles first round match against Belarus's Aliaksandra Sasnovich on the second day of the 2021 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Tennis Club in Wimbledon.

Serena Williams has retired hurt from the Wimbledon Championship after twisting her ankle during the first set of her first round match on centre court.

Williams was in tears after taking a medical time out when she was 3-1 up after her left foot slipped backwards while playing under the closed roof on centre court.

But upon her return to the court, Williams could barely move to get to the shots of her Belarusian opponent Alexandra Sasnovich and was wiping away tears as she tried to serve.

Williams, who had been aiming to equal Margaret Court’s 24 grand slam wins in her 20th appearance at Wimbledon, then turned to the match referee saying “I can’t go on”.

We're heartbroken for you, Serena.

Our seven-time singles champion is forced to retire from The Championships 2021 through injury#Wimbledonpic.twitter.com/vpcW1UN78s

— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) June 29, 2021

In the earlier match, also under the closed roof and in muggy conditions, Roger Federer survived a scare when his French opponent Adrian Mannarino was forced to retire injured in the fifth set.

Mannarino was up two sets to one but down a break in the fourth set against the Swiss master when he slipped at the back of centre court.

He tried to continue but was hampered by the injury to his knee and retired hurt at the end of the set with the score 6-4, 6-7, 3-6, 6-2.

“It was just a terrible ending, one I don‘t like to see,” Federer said.

“I don’t know, I just felt really down, especially with everything I went through with my knee. That was his knee, as well. I hope he’s not out for a long time.”

Our heart goes out to you, @AdrianMannarino - it was a performance to be proud of and we wish you a speedy recovery#Wimbledonpic.twitter.com/0uREBcRcrc

— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) June 29, 2021

Federer said he was moving carefully on the court because the grass was always more slippery for the first couple of games. He was upset upon hearing that Williams had been forced to retire hurt.

“I do feel it feels a tad more slippery maybe under the roof. I don‘t know if it’s just a gut feeling. You do have to move very, very carefully out there. If you push too hard in the wrong moments, you do go down.

“I do feel it’s drier during the day. With the wind and all that stuff, it takes the moist out of the grass … But this is obviously terrible that it’s back-to-back matches and it hits Serena as well. Oh, my God, I can’t believe it.”

Serena Williams pulls-up injured before withdrawing from her women's singles first round match.