Absence of let machines from grand slams is ‘ridiculous’: Zverev

After winning through to an Australian Open semi-final, a star has lashed out at a little-known change affecting all grand slams.

Australian Open semi-finalist Alexander Zverev has hit out at the “absolutely ridiculous” decision to remove let machines from major tournaments as an umpire’s non-call angered his opponent Tommy Paul on Tuesday.

Zverev agreed with an adamant Paul that one of the American’s first serves during their first set tie-break had clipped the net, but the chair umpire had not heard the contact.

The decision unsettled Paul, the world No. 12, who said after his four-set defeat that he was unaware the automatic net cord devices were no longer in operation at Melbourne Park.

“How are you going to be in charge of the lets, dude? If you don’t hear that one, if you don’t see that one, you’re not going to see any of them,” Paul said to the chair umpire.

His frustration with the change came the day after doubles player Erin Routliffe blew up after being told by a chair umpire mid-match that the technology was not available.

“Oh my god, we have robots everywhere and we don’t have them for the net,” Routliffe said.

Zverev, the world No. 2, echoed those sentiments after his victory to reach the final four for the third time at Melbourne Park.

Players including Tommy Paul have been left confused by the absence of automatic let detection devices at the Australian Open. Picture: Clive Brunskill / Getty Images

It was his understanding that the technology had been pulled from grand slams since last year’s French Open, meaning the 2024 Australian Open was the last major where it was in use.

Tennis Australia was contacted for comment.

“We’ve had that since the French Open last year – that at grand slams for some reason, we don’t use let machines,” Zverev said.

“I think it’s quite ridiculous – every single corner of everything has a camera. We have video review, we have all the high-end technologies we can possibly have, but a simple let machine we have been using for the past 25 years is not available at any grand slam.

“To be honest, the point that Tommy Paul complained about, it was an incredibly clear let, and I didn’t know what to do in that situation, but I had to continue playing, because if there’s no call and I stop playing, then it’s a loss of point for me.

“In that situation, there’s nothing much you can do but continue playing … but he was absolutely right.

Zverev, who won through to a semi-final for the third time at Melbourne Park, says the removal of the net cord technology is ‘absolutely ridiculous’. Picture: William West / AFP

“I don’t blame the umpire too much for it, because it is tough to hear, especially if you’re sitting higher up, but for me it’s absolutely ridiculous and such a surprise why we don’t have a simple let machine at grand slams that we used to have for the past 25 years in tennis.”

Another controversial let call came in the second set when Zverev was furious at the umpire calling for a replayed point due to a feather falling in his path mid-rally.

“I’ve never had that before, that we stopped a point because of a feather,” he said.

“I’m not sure if it was a hindrance to everybody … it’s not like a hard object, even if the tennis ball hits the feather … it doesn’t change the trajectory of the ball, or the bounce of the ball or anything like that.

“It was a bit frustrating because obviously Tommy would get a first serve, and he won the point with that serve as well … I got a warning after that, so there was a bit much happening at that stage.”