Wimbledon controversy erupts as organisers apologise to furious Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova for 'stolen game'
The Russian star was locked in a tense battle with local favourite Sonay Kartal on Centre Court. With both players exchanging two breaks apiece, the match looked set for a gripping first-set tie-break.
The drama unfolded in the ninth game, with Pavlyuchenkova serving. She had just saved three break points and appeared poised to hold serve when Kartal fired a shot that landed long, visibly beyond the baseline. However, the automated line-call system delayed its response, calling 'Stop. Stop' several seconds late, which created mass confusion.
Pavlyuchenkova, standing well behind the baseline, paused, expecting an immediate call. The delayed verdict came just as she was about to take a 5-4 lead.
Umpire Nico Helwerth spoke to the line-calling team over the phone as both players waited. Replays clearly showed Kartal's shot was out, but the final decision stunned everyone—'The system was unable to track the last point, so we will replay it,' Helwerth announced.
The 34-year-old Russian was furious but tried to stay composed. She battled for another game point but couldn't convert. Kartal eventually broke serve and took the lead.
Pavlyuchenkova voiced her frustration during the changeover: 'I don't know if it's in or out. You can't prove it… You took the game away from me. You stole the game from me.'
The All England Club later issued an apology, stating: 'We have apologised to the players involved. We continue to have full confidence in the accuracy of the ball-tracking technology. However, there was a human error in this instance, and we've made appropriate changes.'
Despite the controversy, Pavlyuchenkova showed immense resilience, eventually winning the opening set 7-6 (7-3). After the match, she revealed that even the chair umpire privately admitted the ball was out.
'It was very confusing. The umpire also saw it out. I expected him to take initiative—that's what he's there for—but he didn't. Maybe it's because she's local, I don't know... but that was a crucial moment,' she said.
The incident has reignited debate over the full reliance on technology for line calls. Emma Raducanu expressed scepticism, saying,
'I don't think it's great. Most players would agree there were questionable calls.'
In contrast, British No.1 Jack Draper called the system '100% accurate' after his own second-round exit.
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