London
CNN
–
This year’s Wimbledon organizers said the ball boy caused the latest error in the electronic system that replaced traditional line referees in this year’s tournament.
The incident occurred in Tuesday’s quarter-finals between American Taylor Fritz and Russian Karen Khachanov. As Fritz serves in the fourth set, the system was called the “failure” midpoint, and forced referee Louise Angel to intervene.
After making the call, Azemar-Engzell sought the points that would be played “due to malfunction.”
In a statement to CNN Sports on Wednesday, the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club (AELTC) said the electronic system was not aware of the beginning of the point.
“While the BBG (Ball Boys and Girls) were still over the net, the player’s service motion began and therefore the system did not recognize the beginning of the point,” he said. “So the chair judge told us to play the points.”
In the replay, Ballboy, who regained the stray ball on the court as Fritz, who won the match 6-3, 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (4) to make the semi-finals, however, he was back in position before the Americans came into contact with the ball.
The electronic system was accidentally turned off during Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova’s fourth victory over Sonay Kartal on centre court after AELTC apologized for another blunder in Sunday’s match.
In the first set, Kartal’s backhand was longer, but there were no “out” calls from the electronic system. Pavlyuchenkova, one point away from winning that game, stopped playing at ball landings off the court.
Judge Nico Helworth called for a pause of the match, saying the automated system was “stop, stop.”
The automated system did not pick up the ball that landed three times in the match. Helworth called for the other two.
Organizers denounced the controversy as “human errors,” and later changed how the system works.
While the Human Line Judge has long been a symbolic aspect of Wimbledon, organizers announced in October that electronic calling systems will be introduced at future tournaments.
This shift coincides with the rest of the tennis world. The ATP and WTA tours employ a system, just like Australia and the US opened. Roland Garros still exists for the only Grand Slam competition that uses human line judges to call “out” and “disability.”
Reactions from Wimbledon players are mixed in, and they are frustrated with the lack of accuracy in the system during their tournament debut.
For example, British players Jack Draper and Emma Raducanu have expressed doubts about the system as they call it “dangerous.”
