American player Bethanie Mattek-Sands suffered a devastating injury Thursday at Wimbledon, collapsing in a heap on the court and sending shouts of anguish echoing across the grounds.

Mattek-Sands was charging the net when her leg buckled and she grabbed for her right knee.

As horrified spectators looked on, she began to shout: “Help me! Help me! Please!”

Help eventually arrived to the outer Court 17, as Mattek-Sands’s husband, Justin, and her opponent, Sorana Cirstea, tried to console the sobbing player. She was treated with oxygen and an injection to relieve the pain. It was nearly 20 minutes before medical personnel removed Mattek-Sands from the court via stretcher to a waiting ambulance, which took her straight to the hospital.

Cirstea later said Mattek-Sands’ knee was “out” like the kind of injury seen “only in the movies,” according to The New York Times.

“I’m not a doctor but you could see that her kneecap was in a very weird position,” Cirstea said. “She was shouting, ‘Sorana, help me’ and all I could say was ‘I’m here, be strong.’”

Cirstea said she was surprised how long it seemed to take for care to arrive. The All England Club said a “qualified ambulance technician” responded within one minute.

Mattek-Sands (📽 ESPN) pic.twitter.com/HK8q3HfFc5

— Ilya Ryvlin (@ryvlin) July 6, 2017

“I think everyone froze. No one was having any reaction. I called for help, but no one was coming,” Cirstea said, via Reuters. “It felt, like, so long. I don’t know, there are sports where you see something’s happening, you see straightaway the help. Like I know football, boxing, all the others, it’s straightaway. It took awhile. So, of course, you wonder what would have happened if it was a heart issue or something like this.”

Mattek-Sands and Cirstea were in the opening game of the third set of a second-round singles match.

Along with partner Lucie Safarova, Mattek-Sands is the reigning doubles champion in three of the four majors and was vying for a non-calendar-year Grand Slam at Wimbledon.

The 32-year-old veteran, who suffered ligament damage to the same knee four years ago, also is known for her penchant for wearing high socks and colorful attire.

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