Wimbledon likely to follow Australian Open and use electronic officiating

The traditional Wimbledon sight of well-dressed line judges may not be seen this year for the first time in the 144-year history of the championships.

Well-dressed Wimbledon line judges could be on the way out

The traditional Wimbledon sight of well-dressed line judges calling balls in or out may not be seen this year for the first time in the 144-year history of the championships after Tim Henman revealed the All England Club is considering emulating the Australian Open and using automated electronic officiating.

Henman, the former player who is now a member of the All England Club committee, would prefer that human officials are able to take up their usual positions on the grass courts of SW19, but has conceded that this is dependent on numbers permitted inside the grounds.

Wimbledon organisers are monitoring the use of Hawk-Eye Live at the Australian Open, with a view to potentially using it for this year’s tournament, scheduled to begin on June 28. As it stands, planning is centred on a reduction in the number of spectators, staff and media allowed to attend. A final decision is likely to be made in April when it becomes clearer what national COVID-19 restrictions will be in place across public life in the northern summer.

“For the 2021 championships, we don’t know yet what the restrictions will be,” Henman said. “So if there is a scenario where we are trying to limit the number of people on site, Hawk-Eye Live would be an opportunity.”

Hawk-Eye Live was used for the first time in the UK last June at Jamie Murray’s Battle of the Brits exhibition at the National Tennis Centre in Roehampton, southwest London, and is increasingly being used on the tour to cut down on the number of people required to be on the court.

The use of an automated system requires only one human official. The chair umpire controls proceedings and ensures all rules are being followed, while Hawk-Eye Live uses several cameras to track the ball and determine whether shots have landed in or out. Automated voice calls are made within a tenth of a second.

This new innovation is an extension of the challenge system, in operation since 2006, which allows players to dispute decisions made by line judges — no more than three incorrect challenges are allowed per set — and is similar to goal line technology in football. In a view that is believed to be shared by other key figures at the All England Club, Henman would prefer the usual combination of human and computerised officiating to be used this summer.

“In an ideal world I would like to have the Hawk-Eye technology on the courts but with line judges,” Henman said. “I enjoy the human element, the interaction between players and line judges, and selecting when to challenge. Sometimes the challenges have been used up and there are no more challenges left, and I like that.”

The Times