Umpire at centre of Wimbledon controversy ABSENT from match-list after chiefs were forced to apologise for blunder

The Irish Sun

12 hours ago

THE Wimbledon umpire at the centre of yesterday's line calling controversy was absent from the match-list for today's action.
German Nico Helwerth was in the chair for Sonay Kartal's Centre Court battle with Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.
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Nico Helwerth chats with Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova
Credit: Getty
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Helwerth, 40, was in the chair during the controversy
Credit: PA
The match erupted into life with Pavlyuchenkova holding a game point while serving at 4-4 in the first set.
British favourite Kartal clearly missed a shot long, but the electronic line calling (ELC), run by tech company Hawk Eye, did not call it out.
As the tech system called "stop, stop" - Helwerth halted the point and told the crowd "there is a problem".
Bizarrely no video replay, which would have clearly shown the ball out, was available to Helwerth - and following a three-minute delay the 40-year-old followed protocol by replaying the point.
Pavlyuchenkova, who should have already won the game, went on to lose it - meaning that Kartal would go on to serve for the first set.
The Russian fumed at Helwerth during the next change of ends, even going as far as to accuse Wimbledon of home player bias.
The 34-year-old said: "I don't know if it's in or it's out. How do I know?
"How can you prove it? Because she is local, they can say whatever. You took the game away from me.'
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Pavlyuchenkova, 34, was understandably fuming with the decision
Credit: Getty
Pavlyuchenkova went on to break back and eventually win the first set, and the match.
But she did not row back on her comments much in her post-match press conference, again pointing to Kartal being a "local" player.
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Hours after the incident, Wimbledon chiefs released the following statement: "Following the Pavlyuchenkova vs Kartal match, we have had the opportunity to undertake further investigation, including speaking to the players, chair umpire, Hawk-Eye operators and Review Official.
"It is now clear that the live ELC system, which was working optimally, was deactivated in error on part of the server's side of the court 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.
"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. We continue to have full confidence in the accuracy of the ball tracking technology. The live ELC system relies on the Hawk-Eye operators, the review official and the technology to work in harmony.
"This did not happen. In this instance there was a human error and as a consequence we have fully reviewed our processes and made the appropriate changes."
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All Engand Club chiefs have stressed that it is perfectly normal to rotate umpires throughout the tournament - and confirmed to SunSport that Helwerth would return to the chair tomorrow.
Wimbledon ditched line judges this year in favour of electronic line calling.
The ELC is run by the same company, Hawk Eye, that operated the challenge system that was previously available to players.
On Helwerth, Pavlyuchenkova said: "The chair umpire was so confused.
"I think they just need to… chair umpire needs to maybe have a clear plan if that happens, 'Okay, what am I going to do in this situation'.
"I think they are a little bit lost. They start calling everybody. They don't know what to do.
"Instead [they should be able to say]: 'if the system is down, then I'm going to take initiative and call this'.
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"We probably should have this system like in football to review."
Pavlyuchenkova will return to action tomorrow, when she faces No13 seed Amanda Anisimova on No1 Court.