Sports Updates : Tennis adopted electronic line calling on clay and created a ball-mark monster

Source : 

https://sports.yahoo.com/article/tennis-adopted-electronic-line-calling-111606435.html

Apple Intelligence : 

• Electronic Line Calling Issue: Electronic line calling (ELC) system on clay courts is disagreeing with players’ visual assessment of ball marks.

• Player Reaction: Players like Alex Eala and Arthur Fils are questioning the accuracy of ELC, citing instances where the system contradicted clear ball marks.

• Historical Context: Clay court tennis has traditionally relied on human line judges and ball mark inspection, making the transition to ELC challenging.

• Technology Adoption in Tennis: Hawk-Eye ELC, an electronic line calling system, is being adopted by major tennis tournaments, replacing human line judges.

• Player Disputes and Technology: Players like Alexander Zverev and Aryna Sabalenka have challenged calls using photographic evidence, highlighting the conflict between human perception and technology.

• Future of Line Calling in Tennis: By 2025, Hawk-Eye ELC will be used at most major tennis events, with the French Open being the exception, continuing to rely on human line judges and clay court markings.

• ELC Accuracy: ELC has a margin of error and ball marks on clay can be misleading due to factors like court conditions and ball compression.

• Player Awareness: The ATP and WTA have attempted to educate players about the limitations of ELC on clay, but some players still challenge calls based on ball marks.

• Ball Mark Reliance: Players’ reliance on ball marks for determining the validity of calls presents a challenge to the acceptance of ELC as the sole arbiter of ball in/out calls.

• ELC Discrepancy: Discrepancies between ELC and human judgment in tennis have been a source of debate and frustration for players and spectators.

• Challenge System Limitations: The challenge system, while providing some recourse, was limited in scope and often led to situations where players disagreed with calls despite visual evidence.

• Player Perspectives: Players like Zverev and Fritz have expressed concerns about the accuracy and impact of ELC, highlighting the challenges of adjusting to a system that may not always align with their visual perception.

• Player Preference for ELC: Many players, including Sabalenka, Keys, de Minaur, and Svitolina, prefer ELC over umpire calls due to its consistency and removal of human error.

• Fils’s Opposition to ELC: Fils advocates for returning to traditional line judges and umpires, believing they should maintain their authority.

• Shapovalov’s Experience with Line Calls: Shapovalov, despite acknowledging the difficulty of accepting machine-made calls, still prefers ELC over umpire decisions based on their interpretation of ball marks.

• Electronic Line Calling (ELC) Impact: Players are adjusting to ELC, which recalibrates their understanding of the sport.

• Player Acceptance: Despite potential preference for umpires, players like Świątek are accepting ELC.

• Świątek’s Stance: Świątek believes focusing on ELC versus umpires is unproductive and chooses to accept the system in place.