Wimbledon blames 'human error' for embarrassing line-calling glitch
Had the call been correct, it would have given Russia's Pavlyuchenkova a 5-4 lead in the first set, but instead umpire Nico Helwerth ruled the point should be replayed, with Kartal going on to win the game.
After an investigation, organisers admitted the technology was turned off in error on a section of the court for a game, with the mistake only becoming apparent when a shot from Britain's Kartal that clearly missed the baseline was not called out.
Officials apologised to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Sonay Kartal after the malfunction during their fourth-round match on Centre Court on Sunday, which Pavlyuchenkova won in straight sets.
Wimbledon chiefs on Monday blamed human error for an embarrassing failure of the tournament's electronic line-calling system.
The Russian accused the official of home bias, saying: "Because she is local, they can say whatever. You took the game away from me."
Wimbledon issued a statement on Sunday saying the system had been "deactivated in error" for one game by those operating the system.
"In that time, there were three calls not picked up by live ELC on the affected part of the court. Two of these were called by the chair umpire, who was not made aware that the system had been deactivated," it said.
"Following the third, the chair umpire stopped the match and consulted with the review official. It was determined that the point should be replayed.
"The chair umpire followed the established process. We have apologised to the players involved."
Sally Bolton, chief executive of the All England Club, told reporters on Monday that the system was "working optimally."
"The issue we had was human error in terms of the tracking system having been inadvertently deactivated, and then the chair (umpire) not being made aware of the fact that it had been deactivated," she said.
She added: "We've spoken to the players, we've apologised to them, we've very quickly moved into reviewing everything that had happened yesterday afternoon and putting in place the appropriate changes to the processes."
A fully automated system has replaced human line judges at Wimbledon in 2025, in line with the Australian Open and the US Open.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
IOL News
17 hours ago
- IOL News
Wimbledon 2025: A glamorous weekend of celebrity sightings
Britain's Catherine, Princess of Wales (R) and Britain's Princess Charlotte of Wales cool down with fans in the royal box during the men's singles final tennis match between Italy's Jannik Sinner and Spain's Carlos Alcaraz. Image: Henry Nicholls / AFP While Wimbledon is a showcase of world-class tennis, it's also one of the year's most stylish celebrity gatherings, and this past weekend's finals were no exception. Saturday saw Poland's Iga Świątek take the Women's Singles title after beating Amanda Anisimova from the US. On Sunday, Italy's Jannik Sinner came out on top against Spain's Carlos Alcaraz in the Men's Singles final. Both matches delivered on drama and excitement, with the crowds cheering every shot and serve. Adding to the big weekend moments, Catherine, Princess of Wales, was there to hand over the trophies to the champions. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ As royal patron of the All England Club, she's a familiar and much-loved figure at Wimbledon, and her presence on Centre Court is always a highlight. Of course, the Royal Box was packed with celebrities too, turning the finals into the ultimate mix of sport, glamour and people-watching. Man of Steel star Henry Cavill showed up with his girlfriend Natalie Viscuso, both looking effortlessly chic on Sunday. Supermodel Naomi Campbell also brought her signature style to the stands, and actress Keira Knightley was spotted alongside her husband James Righton, taking in the match like seasoned Wimbledon fans. Orlando Bloom made an appearance, as did singer Seal, and actor Matthew McConaughey was seen chatting with Virgin Group's Richard Branson, who's no stranger to the Wimbledon scene. Actress Nicole Kidman looked as elegant as ever and was seen catching up with fashion queen Anna Wintour, who has been a Wimbledon regular for years. Princess Kate, who looked glamorous as always, attended the finals on Saturday and Sunday, cheering on the players alongside husband Prince William and their children. With thrilling matches, major celebrity sightings and the royal seal of approval, Wimbledon 2025 ended on a high. IOL Entertainment
TimesLIVE
18 hours ago
- TimesLIVE
Sinner rises above adversity to make Italian history at Wimbledon
Jannik Sinner spoke of his pride at overcoming months of adversity on and off the court after claiming his first Wimbledon title by dethroning rival Carlos Alcaraz on Sunday. The ice-cool 23-year-old beat the Spaniard 4-6 6-4 6-4 6-4 to become Italy's first Wimbledon singles champion and claim his fourth Grand Slam title. Sinner's third major came at this year's Australian Open where he retained the title despite the dark cloud of a possible ban for a doping violation hanging over his head. Tennis authorities found the world number one bore 'no fault or negligence' for a positive test for anabolic steroid clostebol — Sinner saying it had inadvertently entered his system via a massage from a team member — but he accepted a three-month ban from World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) in February. His title on Sunday was his first since returning in May and came five weeks after losing an epic French Open final to Alcaraz in which he squandered three match points. The Grounds are still packed full of fans wanting to see a glimpse of Jannik Sinner 🤩 #Wimbledon — Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 13, 2025 'Very emotional, even if I don't cry,' Sinner told reporters on Sunday. 'It feels emotional because only me and the people who are close to me know exactly what we have been through on and off the court, and it has been everything except easy. 'We've tried to push every practice session, even if I was struggling at times mentally. Maybe even more in practice sessions because I feel like when I play the match, I can switch off and just play. I believe that this helped me a lot.' Sinner praised his team, including Australian coach Darren Cahill, for helping him bounce back from the heartache of Paris and snap a five-match losing streak against Alcaraz. Cahill said it was down to Sinner's resilience. "Trying to become a better tennis player, but mostly a better person" ♥️ Jannik Sinner gives his team a heartfelt thank you following his victory at #Wimbledon — Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 13, 2025 'I think you could see that from the first match that he played, that he wasn't carrying any baggage from Roland Garros,' Cahill told reporters. 'That's not easy to do. 'It's easy for us to say that in words, to put it to one side, but for the player to wipe it away and be able to come here with the mentality that he had, is 100% credit to him.' Sinner said the way he lost to Alcaraz in Paris had actually made it easier to move on. 'I always tried to be honest with myself ... I always tried to accept it,' he said. 'I believe if you lose a Grand Slam final that way, it's much better like this than when someone kills you. 'I did a lot of intensity in every practice because I felt like that I could play very good. That's why I also said after Roland Garros that it's not the time to be down, because another Grand Slam is coming up, and I did great here.'
eNCA
a day ago
- eNCA
Sinner eyes golden era after Wimbledon glory
LONDON - Jannik Sinner has warned Carlos Alcaraz that he will get even stronger after beating his arch-rival to win his first Wimbledon title on Sunday. Sinner avenged an agonising French Open final loss against Alcaraz as he battered the Spaniard into submission with a dynamic display of power hitting on Centre Court. The Italians' 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 victory ended Alcaraz's two-year reign as Wimbledon champion and gave Sinner his fourth Grand Slam crown. Sinner has reached the last four Grand Slam finals, winning three of them, and the world number one has no intention of resting on his laurels. "I don't think I'm at my best because at 23 I don't think you can be in your best shape ever. So hopefully I can keep improving," he said. "I keep looking up to Carlos because even today I felt like he was doing couple of things better than I did. "That's something we will work on and prepare ourselves because he's going to come for us again. "We have a big target on us, so we have to be prepared." It was a cathartic triumph for Sinner after he squandered a two-set lead and blew three championship points against Alcaraz at Roland Garros in June. Alcaraz had won five successive encounters against the 23-year-old, including finals in Paris, Rome and Beijing, prior to their showdown at the All England Club. Sinner admitted it was vital to finally beat the world number two for the first time since 2023. "It is important, for sure, because you know, when you lose several times against someone, it's not easy. But in the same time in the past I felt that I was very close," he said.
