Error in Automated Line-Calling System Disrupts Wimbledon Match Again
Wimbledon faced renewed scrutiny over its electronic line-calling system on Tuesday as another malfunction occurred, just a day after organizers assured that earlier technical problems had been resolved.
The latest issue arose during the quarter-final match between Taylor Fritz and Karen Khachanov. In the opening game of the fourth set, Fritz missed his first serve, correctly called out. His second serve landed in, but when he followed with a forehand—several feet inside the line—the automated system incorrectly signaled a fault, mistaking the shot for a serve.
The speed gun had not registered the second serve, prompting umpire Louise Azemar-Engzell to pause play and consult the control room. “Ladies and gentlemen, we will replay the last point due to a system malfunction. The system is now operational,” she announced, drawing light boos from spectators on No. 1 Court.
A Wimbledon representative clarified that the error occurred because a ballperson was still on the court when Fritz began his service motion. “The system failed to detect the start of the point, leading the umpire to order a replay.”
This year, Wimbledon replaced human line judges with automated calls, but Tuesday’s incident follows multiple glitches, including Sunday’s failure to detect a clear long backhand by Britain’s Sonay Kartal. Opponent Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, who would have gained a 5-4 first-set lead, initially accused the tournament of favoritism but later won the match. Organizers explained that the system had been mistakenly deactivated in that section of the court and afterward disabled manual overrides by Hawk-Eye operators.
After the match, Khachanov expressed skepticism toward the automated system. “I wonder why these errors keep happening. Is it machine failure, or something else? Relying entirely on technology can be concerning.”
Fritz, however, supported the change. “This time, it worked in my favor—I got a first serve back. Of course, there will be occasional issues, but overall, I prefer not worrying about challenges during rallies. It’s an improvement,” he said.
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