Emotional Reaction from Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova at Wimbledon
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova was visibly upset after a controversial call during her fourth-round match against Sonay Kartal at Wimbledon. The incident occurred in the first set, when the pair were locked in a deuce battle at 4-4. Kartal hit a backhand that appeared to be long, but the Electronic Line Calling (ELC) system did not register it as out.
Chair umpire Nico Helwerth intervened and called for a review by the ELC team. After some deliberation, the decision was made to replay the point instead of awarding it to Pavlyuchenkova. Kartal then went on to break Pavlyuchenkova’s serve, a move that left the Russian player deeply frustrated.
During the changeover, Pavlyuchenkova expressed her emotions, suggesting that Kartal had benefited from the decision because she is a British player competing at her home tournament. “I don’t know if it’s in or it’s out,” she said to Helwerth. “How can I know? You cannot prove it. Because she is local they can say whatever. You took the game away from me.”
Helwerth responded by stating that he had to trust the system. “If they tell me it’s up and running, there’s nothing we can do. That’s the rule, unfortunately.” A tearful Pavlyuchenkova retorted: “They stole the game from me. They stole it.”
It was later revealed that the ELC error was due to an ‘operator error’ where the ball was not being tracked at the moment it landed beyond the baseline. Despite this mistake, the controversial decision to replay the point did not ultimately benefit Kartal. Pavlyuchenkova managed to break back, force a tiebreak, and win the first set.
Concerns Over ELC System
This incident has raised concerns about the reliability of the ELC system, which has been criticized by several players, including Carlos Alcaraz, Emma Raducanu, and Jack Draper. Wimbledon officials introduced the system to align with other tour-level events. This year marks the first time traditional line judges have been replaced entirely, a decision that has not been universally welcomed.
Wimbledon tournament director Jamie Baker has defended the change, emphasizing that live line calling is now standard across the sport. “The concept of live line calling is absolutely standard across the tour now – mandatory across the ATP tour,” he said. “Two of the other Grand Slams have had it for four or five years.”
Baker also highlighted the improvements in the system over time. “What that has meant is that the level of sophistication and certification around the system has become more professional and more robust as time has gone on. The accuracy and the reliability and the robustness of the system and the process as a whole, in terms of officiating, is in as good a place as it has been.”
Impact on the Tournament
While the ELC system aims to bring greater consistency and fairness to the game, incidents like the one involving Pavlyuchenkova and Kartal highlight the challenges of relying solely on technology. As the tournament continues, the debate over the use of electronic line calling will likely remain a topic of discussion among players, officials, and fans alike.
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