Why is my Safari cursor not opening links on iPad Air?

I have a brand new iPad Air. When I open the Safari app to do some web searches, the cursor works properly for about 10 minutes. Then, though I can move it all around the screen, the cursor will not open links or close tabs. The only way I can fix the problem is to close the Safari app completely, then reopen it. Then, the same scenario will repeat. The cursor will work for 10 minutes as it should, then….here we go again. Maddening.