Wimbledon organisers have issued an apology to players Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Sonay Kartal following a technical fault with the new electronic line-calling system on Centre Court during their match.
An investigation confirmed that the technology was mistakenly switched off for one game in a specific area of the court. The error came to light when a shot by Kartal, which appeared clearly out, was not registered by the system.
If the system had worked correctly, Pavlyuchenkova would have taken a 5-4 lead in the first set. However, umpire Nico Helwerth decided the point should be replayed, and Kartal went on to win that game.
Pavlyuchenkova, the Russian player, accused the umpire of bias towards the local player, stating: “Because she is local, they can say whatever. You took the game away from me.”
A spokesperson for Wimbledon released a statement: “It is now clear that the live ELC (Electronic Line Calling) system, which was otherwise functioning correctly, was mistakenly deactivated for one game on the server`s side of the court by the operators.”
“During that period, three calls were missed by the live ELC system in the affected area. Two of these were called by the chair umpire, who was unaware the system had been turned off.”
“After the third instance, the chair umpire halted play and consulted with the review official. They decided to replay the point. The umpire followed the correct protocol. We have apologised to the players involved.”
After the match, Pavlyuchenkova spoke with Helwerth about the incident. She commented: “It was very confusing initially as the ball seemed very long to me. It was a critical point in the match. I anticipated a different ruling. I also believed the chair umpire could have intervened. That`s his role. He told me afterwards that he also saw it was out. I`m unsure if it relates to her being a local player.”
She added: “I feel we are losing some of the human element” in the sport. “Similar to during Covid when we didn`t have ball boys, it feels a bit strange and overly reliant on automation.”
Pavlyuchenkova also remarked on officials` strictness: “They are very quick to issue fines and code violations. They never miss those. I wish they were as attentive to line calls and corrected errors better.”
Wimbledon Chief `Deeply Disappointed`
Wimbledon`s chief executive, Sally Bolton, reiterated the apology, stating: “It was important for us to explain what we believed had occurred at that moment and to apologise to the players for this incident.”
Bolton expressed disappointment: “We are deeply disappointed this occurred during the Championships. It was a human error, and the ball-tracking technology itself is functioning correctly.”
This system has replaced traditional line judges this year, making such a prominent technical failure particularly embarrassing for the All England Club.
During a press briefing on Monday morning, Bolton declined to elaborate on precisely how the error happened or the specific safeguards now in place.
She commented: “I wasn`t present there, so I don`t know exactly what happened.”
She confirmed: “It was clearly deactivated in error, as you wouldn`t intentionally turn off cameras during a match.”
Bolton added: “Following this, we conducted a thorough review of our systems and processes to ensure we`ve made necessary adjustments for both past and future operations. We are now fully confident in the system.”
Error Follows Complaints About New Tech`s Accuracy
Sonay Kartal, who stated she was unsure if the ball was in or out, defended the umpire`s actions.
Kartal remarked: “That situation is extremely rare. I don`t think it`s ever happened before. It`s unfortunate. What can you do? The umpire was doing his best. I think he handled it well, and replaying the point was the fairest outcome.”
Despite the disruption, Pavlyuchenkova recovered effectively, saving a set point against Kartal and winning the match 7-6 (7-3), 6-4 to advance to the quarter-finals.
When asked how she would have felt if she had lost, the 34-year-old jokingly replied: “I would just say that I hate Wimbledon and never come back here.”
The incident is a significant embarrassment for Wimbledon, particularly as organisers have strongly defended the electronic system amidst debate over replacing human line judges.
This week, leading British players Jack Draper and Emma Raducanu have also voiced concerns about the system`s accuracy, despite its widespread use on the professional tour.
Following her third-round loss to Aryna Sabalenka on Friday, Raducanu commented: “It`s quite disappointing, especially at this tournament, that the calls can be so incorrect.”
The Wimbledon spokesperson added: “We maintain full confidence in the accuracy of the ball-tracking technology itself.”
“The live ELC system requires the operators, review official, and technology to work together seamlessly. This didn`t occur. In this specific case, it was a human error, and consequently, we have thoroughly reviewed our processes and implemented the necessary changes.”
