By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Tuesday August 13, 2024
For the second time in as many weeks, a tournament’s electronic line-calling system has blown a call and left a player with an unfair outcome. Last week it was Frances Tiafoe, who appeared to have won a point against Alejandro Tabilo in the first set of his match in Montreal when play was stopped and a call from the booth came to the umpire’s chaire informing him that one of Tabilo’s shots was long.
The call was missed on the court, by the system, and the umpire ruled that the point would have to be replayed. Tiafoe lost the point, the set and the game.
He wasn't thrilled at the time.
Tonight in Cincinnati, during his 6-4, 4-6, 7-6(4) loss in Cincinnati, Taylor Fritz could have had a break point against Brandon Nakashima in the sixth game of the second set when Nakashima’s shot sailed well long of the baseline, but the call was once again missed by the system. When umpire Greg Allensworth got the word from the booth (it came immediately to his headset), he stopped point immediately and made the decision that the point would be replayed.
Apparently that is the protocol for such situations, but it’s clearly not the right call. Fritz immediately took offense and argued, but when he realized there was no way to change it, he got back to business.
After the match players took to social media to voice their opinions.
Daniil Medvedev and Alex Michelsen spoke out.
“Ridiculous decision,” Medvedev said.
“Ball was out – why are we replaying the point,” said Michelsen.
Fritz was told by Allensworth that he would have needed to stop the point in order to challenge, which is farcical, because players can’t challenge the electronic system. They are expected to trust and accept all decisions that the system produces. Then why not accept this decision, even if it was delivered from the truck, rather than on the court?
“Imagine telling me I needed to stop the point when we have literal Hawkeye electronic line calling,” Fritz said on X, before adding, in a very sportsmanlike manner: “Side note - I don’t think this changes anything in the match considering I won the point replay so don’t take this as an excuse… just pointing out an insane call.”
Now that electronic line-calling mistakes are (apparently) happening regularly on court, the ATP should start thinking about making an amendment to its existing policy on such calls. It would help keep trust in the system, and that is necessary. The players have spoken, they should be heard.