Players call for sponsorship boards removal after injury

Players call for sponsorship boards removal after injuryImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Turkey's Zeynep Sonmez could not continue after the incident in only the third game of her French Open doubles matchByJonathan JurejkoBBC Sport tennis news reporterPublished17 minutes agoBritain's Katie Boulter has led calls for the French Open to remove on-court sponsorship boards after Turkey's Zeynep Sonmez said tripping over one left her needing stitches.Sonmez had to retire from her doubles match on Friday after colliding with one of the foot-high signs while chasing a ball.The 24-year-old said was left with a bruised knee after the incident and needed two stitches."Do we really have to wait until a player is seriously injured before these courtside boards are removed?" Sonmez wrote on social media."Player safety must come first."Boulter escaped injury in a similar incident during her singles match on Thursday, but said the advertisement blocks are an unnecessary hazard."These things have to go," Boulter wrote. "[I] got lucky last night but next time I might not be."Four-time French Open champion Iga Swiatek and Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk, who said she does not chase some balls due to fear of injury, also said the boards should be removed.The French Tennis Federation (FFT) has been contacted for comment.Vallejo criticised for saying woman should not have umpired matchPublished4 minutes agoIs more Grand Slam woe for Brits a worry for Wimbledon?Published4 hours agoHow boards, covers and line judges have become obstaclesSonmez is not the first player to be injured because of the tight space behind the Roland Garros baselines.The Paris heatwave has produced firmer, bouncier courts, meaning players want to stand further behind the baseline to receive serve. Belgium's Alexander Blockx was forced to withdraw from the men's singles earlier this week after spraining his right ankle when he landed on a tarpaul...