SORANA CIRSTEA has criticised the length of time it took for Wimbledon medics to treat Bethanie Mattek-Sands as she lay screaming in agony on court.
Mattek-Sands needed morphine and oxygen as she went into shock on Court 17 after appearing to dislocate her right knee-cap in a horror fall.
And opponent Cirstea, who was first on the spot to help her stricken friend, felt the American wildcard entrant was left too long crying in pain.
The Romanian said: "I saw she was on the floor, then she started screaming. I went over. I saw her knee out.
"I turned around and told them to bring a stretcher or something. Because I think everyone froze. No one was having any reaction.
"It was heartbreaking because she went into shock. It took a while until the medical team was there - for a long time it was just me, her husband and my physio.
"For me, I was there, it felt like so long. And I don't know, there are sports where you see something's happening, you see straightaway the help, like in football or boxing - it's straight away.
"Here, it took a while. So of course you wonder what would happen if it was a heart issue or something like this. Yes, of course, you start wonder.
"I think someone has to take the video and actually time and see how long it took for people to get there.
"Because for me, I think she was too long on the ground. I mean, I was there for 10, 15 minutes, then I left and the stretcher was not there yet.
"It took a really long time not only for the stretcher to get there but, I mean, I don't know for how long she was on the ground, but I would say ten, 15 minutes - for me, that's really long."
Cirstea admits she felt helpless as she tried to comfort Mattek-Sands as the crowd on Court 17 looked on stunned.
She added: "She kept staying, Sorana help me, Sorana help me, Sorana help me.
"I said, I'm here, I'm here, I'm here.
"I was trying, but of course I felt useless. In this kind of moment when she was screaming so loud, you watch the knee, it was a very uncomfortable moment.
"The kneecap, it was I think out a little bit. I'm not a doctor, I'm not a specialist. I've never seen anything like this. But it wasn't in a normal position."
In a statement, the All-England Club said: "The first response to Court 17 was within one minute, by a qualified ambulance technician.
"The player was kept on court while pain relief was given.
"The player was then transferred directly to an ambulance and taken under emergency conditions to a hospital."
Wimbledon officials accept Cirstea may not have had an accurate sense of time while she helped comfort Mattek-Sands.
But they insisted the stretcher was on court well before it was needed, stressing the correct medical procedures are to provide painkillers and keep the player motionless while they are being assessed.
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