Tumbles and splits as players skid on grass

By Sonia Oxley

LONDON (Reuters) - One player smashed into a wall and others did the splits as damp grass at Wimbledon caused a series of dramatic skids and tumbles Monday.

Frenchman Julien Benneteau had to call the trainer facing match point against fourth seed Novak Djokovic after crashing into the screen at the back of the court trying to chase a lob.

Former champion Maria Sharapova slipped twice and both times landed in an undignified heap on the ground, legs pointing in directions that only a very flexible person could achieve.

Even Roger Federer was not immune to the mischievous tricks of his favourite surface, getting wrong-footed in mid-rally before performing the sort of move usually attempted by top gymnasts.

"I don't know what's the cause but it was a little more slippery than I really expected it," said Djokovic, who beat Benneteau in four sets to reach the second round.

"But it's the same for both of us. It's the conditions. It's the new roof (on Centre Court). There's a lot of things involved," he told a news conference.

It was a dry day in London but Djokovic slid around the court as if playing on clay and Sharapova said the turf had slowed down so much in the past few years that players were having to approach it as they might the red dirt.

The Russian, who overcame Ukrainian Viktoriya Kutuzova, said the grass had seemed wetter than usual.