Technology to replace line judges at US Open

NEW YORK • Line judges will no longer feature at the US Open after the United States Tennis Association (USTA) said on Monday that it was implementing the use of electronic line calling on all courts at the year's final Grand Slam.

Electronic line calling technology was also used at last year's US Open, apart from at the Arthur Ashe and Louis Armstrong Stadiums. This year's US Open will begin on Aug 30.

The technology was also deployed at the Australian Open, a move largely welcomed by players.

Chair umpires will be the only on-court officials at Flushing Meadows, just like in Melbourne, the first Slam to be played without line judges.

The USTA said in a statement that seven of the nine ATP and WTA Tour tournaments on the North American swing, including Atlanta, Washington, Toronto, Montreal, Cincinnati, Winston-Salem and Cleveland, would use the technology on all competition courts this year.

"The USTA implemented electronic line calling for the 2020 Western & Southern Open and US Open on all courts except Arthur Ashe and Louis Armstrong Stadiums," the governing body added.

"In total, Hawk-Eye Live made upwards of 314,000 calls during the two tournaments."

World No. 1 Novak Djokovic was sensationally expelled during his fourth-round match at Arthur Ashe Stadium last year when the Serb struck a line judge in the throat after hitting the ball in frustration following a point during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta.

The 18-time Major champion is in favour of the phasing out of line judges, saying in February: "It's proven to be very accurate...

"I don't see a reason why we need the line umpires if we have technology like this."

However, Mats Wilander yesterday told Reuters tennis was losing its intrigue and personality, and was veering more towards "e-sports" territory.

"I like line umpires and I liked the challenge system where we had three challenges," the Swedish seven-time Major champion said.

Line calls will be delivered real time through remote tracking cameras, removing the challenge system that allowed players to contest calls made by the judges.

Calling the previous system "an interesting twist", Wilander said: "It made the player think even more.

Now we have no line calling. It just takes away some of the personality that's on the court.

"We're making tennis e-sports. We're not e-sports, we're a sport where you move around and you have human contact."

REUTERS

calls made by Hawk-Eye Live at last year's Western & Southern Open and, the US Open.