For those tennis fans who are just now tuning into the clay court season as it reaches it’s climax at the French Open starting this week, some may be missing an old friend that they come to expect and love during a close match. Hawk-Eye, the on-court technology that allows players the opportunity to challenge a close line call during a match, is not in use in Paris and has not been active at all during the entire clay court season.
French Open officials, despite numerous calls for the installation of Hawk-Eye, refuse to use it, saying that clay still allows players and the chair umpire the chance to see a close mark themselves making Hawk-Eye redundant. But it’s not just the French who see no use in the system. No other clay court events this year, including those in the U.S., used Hawk-Eye either and there’s been no indication that any of them will soon. Despite this, ESPN and the other networks covering the French Open and other clay events in Europe, use an unofficial version of the technology to replay close calls, but only for the benefit of viewers watching online or on TV.
With Hawk-Eye becoming such a fan favorite at many other tennis tournaments, including all of other the Grand Slams, is it time for France, to step into the 21st century and install the system? I would say yes, but only because the other Slams use the technology. It may happen next year, but for now, we will have to sit back and enjoy some of the mini-dramas created when a player points at one mark while the umpire looks at another, dramas that only happens on the ‘terre battue’.
Erik Gudris moderates the tennis news and commentary site adjustingthenet.com