Wimbledon tech fiasco forces Brit's match to be stopped after Emma Raducanu outcry
Sonay Kartal's match with Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova was thrown into controversy when new line-calling technology failed to register a ball which had landed beyond the baseline
Sonay Kartal's Wimbledon showdown with Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova saw an unexpected halt when the automated line calling system failed to signal a ball out in the first set.
Kartal had sent the ball long past the baseline, yet no 'out' call was made by the technology. Play came to a halt while the umpire sought to resolve the issue, eventually resulting in the point being replayed.
The official, consulting his courtside phone, confirmed the situation but couldn't overturn what had happened.
He explained to the players and audience onlooking: "The electronic line calling system was unable to track the last point so we will replay the point."
If the 'out' had been acknowledged, Pavlyuchenkova would have secured the game against her British rival on Centre Court. Nevertheless, the contest went on with affirmations that the artificial intelligence was back in order.
Pavlyuchenkova's spirits dipped after dropping the subsequent game, venting: "They've stole a game from me. they've stole it."
Line judges are on hand at the venue, despite the All England Club having removed 300 officials in favour of the tech, reports the Mirror.
These judges are brought into action if the electronic system malfunctions, yet Sunday's match progressed without their intervention.
British tennis sensation Emma Raducanu voiced her frustration over the use of technology following her own Wimbledon exit.
She said: "Yeah, I mean, that call [against Aryna Sabalenka] was, like, for sure out. It's kind of disappointing, the tournament here, that the calls can be so wrong. For the most part they've been okay.
"It's just, like, I've had a few in my other matches, too, that have been very wrong. So yeah, I don't know. Hopefully they can kind of fix that."
With a tradition stretching back 147 years, line judges were finally replaced by Live Electronic Line Calling as decided in October, bringing the All England Club on par with counterparts such as the Australian Open and US Open.
Chief executive Sally Bolton reassured that the technology has become "sufficiently robust," with Wimbledon now seeking "maximum accuracy" in its officiating approach.