Wimbledon’s line-calling technology under fire after malfunction

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An angry Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova was forced to replay the point and had her serve broken, after Wimbledons AI line-calling technology malfunctioned.

PHOTO: EPA

Summary

• Wimbledons Hawk-Eye malfunctioned during Pavlyuchenkovas match, failing to call a clearly long shot by Kartal.
• Umpire Nico Helwerth, after consulting via telephone, ordered the point replayed due to the technology error.
• Pavlyuchenkova was furious, accusing officials of favouritism due to Kartal being local, but recovered to win the set.

AI generated

LONDON - Wimbledon’s automated line-calling technology came under fire on July 6 after a malfunction robbed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of a point in her last-16 clash with Britain’s Sonay Kartal.

Pavlyuchenkova had reached game point at 4-4 in the opening set on Centre Court and Kartal hit a shot that looked clearly long but there was no call and Pavlyuchenkova stopped play.

Confusion reigned with television replays showing that Kartal’s shot was well out, but after seeking advice via telephone umpire Nico Helwerth said that because the Hawk-Eye technology had been unable to track the shot, the point had to be replayed.

Russian Pavlyuchenkova went on to have her serve broken and was clearly fuming at the changeover, telling the umpire: “Because she is local, they can say whatever. You took the game away from me. They stole the game from me. You stole the game from me”.

She did, however, recover to win the opening set. REUTERS