Australian Open: Referee discussions after switching to Hawk Eye Live
Like some other tournaments in autumn 2020, the Australian Open does not use line judges, but rather rely on automated calls. The Hawk Eye Live technology has received varying degrees of popularity among players, and some even go wild.
by tennisnet.com
last edit: Feb 10, 2021, 08:08 pm
In order to reduce the number of people on the tennis court, linesmen at the Australian Open were completely abolished. This eliminates a certain drama factor in the matches.
"It saves me the stress of thinking about a challenge," says US Open Champion Naomi Osaka. "If you want to continue like this, I wouldn't be upset because I think it will save us some discussion."
Serena Williams initially had doubts about the technology. When she played the Cincinnati Open in advance of the US Open, she was not very enthusiastic. "Now I like it because human errors are being eradicated. I definitely don't need them," she said. "I should be the biggest fan of it." Williams has messed with linesmen in the past, especially her emotional outburst at the 2009 US Open after a foot error is legendary.
The tournament director of the Australian Open, Craig Tiley, is certain: the electronic system "is here to stay". In smaller tournaments there will still be linesmen, but in the big professional tournaments they should be a thing of the past.
Novak Djokovic is clearly in favor of using the new technology. "I know there is a lot of tradition and we are used to linesmen," he said, "but I see no reason why we still need the linesmen." Djokovic was disqualified at the US Open last year after hitting a line judge with a ball in the neck.
Roland Garros remains the only Grand Slam that does not yet rely on the Hawk Eye, but instead examines the prints on the sand in controversial situations.
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There are also doubters
Venus Williams, for example, takes a different approach. "The linesmen always made very precise decisions," she said. "Usually they were often right, it's exciting to see where we're headed."
The Briton Francesca Jones is not sure whether the system always makes the right decision. "You have to look closely," she said after a contentious decision in her match against Shelby Rogers. "I prefer a human error to a technical one. It's a new system, but it should be reconsidered."
For Gilles Simon, an important part of the game is missing, with the automatic signals tennis has become too "monotonous".
Frances Tiafoe railed against the system in his match against Novak Djokovic on Wednesday. "I hate it, I can't stand it," he said. "I'll get used to it, but I'm not a fan of it."