World number two, Germany`s Alexander Zverev, shared his perspective on the electronic line-calling system in tennis.
During a recent match in Madrid against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, Zverev disputed a call, asserting that an opponent`s shot was out despite the electronic system ruling it in. Zverev photographed the mark on the court, for which he received a warning.
When asked if he was pleased that human line judges would remain at Roland Garros following the incident in Madrid, Zverev responded, “They`re keeping them? Well, they let me down last year (smiles).”
He recalled his final against Carlos Alcaraz last year, where at a critical moment (score 6/3, 2/6, 5/7, 6/1, 2/1, 15:40), Alcaraz hit a double fault. However, the human umpire checked the mark and ruled it in, preventing Zverev from capitalizing on the break point opportunity.
Questioned on whether such situations feel unwinnable, Zverev said, “I can win. I can, but… The chair umpire really screwed me over last year, that`s a fact (smiles).”
He continued, “Honestly, I like the electronic system. I think in Monte Carlo and Munich, there were no errors at all. In Madrid, there were just some issues. So I`ll blame that on the specific tournament, because it worked perfectly without errors in the weeks before.”
“I still think we`re moving in the right direction. When errors like the one in Madrid happen, perhaps something needs to be slightly adjusted for the next day, the system needs a bit of recalibration.”
Asked about the possibility of overriding the system for very obvious errors, Zverev stated, “In the case of Madrid, the error was obvious. It wasn`t just about [Alejandro] Davidovich Fokina`s shot, but also my serve on game point. I went to the other side and saw the mark – it was clearly out too.”
“I don`t know. I don`t have the solution. In Madrid, it worked poorly, but in tournaments before that, it was better than human officiating.”
“I don`t know how to answer. It`s not for me to decide. But when it`s so obvious, perhaps the umpire should have the right to come down from the chair. If we`re talking millimeters – then no. If it`s three, four, five centimeters – maybe,” Zverev concluded during a press conference at the Rome Masters.
Marcus Prine