Latest news with #Queen'sClubChampionship
Euronews
01-07-2025
- Sport
- Euronews
Wimbledon replaces sharply dressed line judges with AI to call shots
Technology is replacing tradition at the quintessentially British tennis grand slam, Wimbledon. The rules require players to wear all-white kits, and the tournament is known for serving strawberries and cream on the stands. But Wimbledon, which started on Monday, is for the first time breaking its 147-year tradition of having line judges in characteristic suits determine if the ball is in or out of bounds. They have been replaced with robots and artificial intelligence (AI) that uses camera footage to track the ball and make calls. There were some small protests against the technology's use outside the tournament, while some people on social media said that the missing human judges took the theatrics out of the game. But players also had some quibbles about the technology. In the women's draw, the Chinese player Yuan Yue said that the system was too quiet to hear the line calls. 'The voice, I cannot really hear it, it is a bit too low,' media outlets quoted her as saying. She said she asked the referee to turn up the volume, but that the referee told her he could not. 'I don't really mind, I just want to hear it clearly. [The umpire's] voice is a lot more loud than the automatic one so we can hear that clear. Other tournaments don't really have this problem,' she added. The technology, electronic line calling, was also used at the Queen's Club Championship in London earlier this month. "They have used very calm voices — it sort of sounds like the voice isn't sure," former line judge Pauline Eyre, who worked the lines at Wimbledon for 16 years, told BBC Sport. "Sort of like it's saying 'Out… I think'. It feels a bit awkward," she added. 'We will use different voices on different courts so there is no confusion across courts that are close together," Eloise Tyson, Head of Communications at Wimbledon, told BBC Sport. The AI-generated line caller is a recorded voice, but Wimbledon has said it will not make individuals the face of electronic line calling. Meanwhile, both Fabio Fognini and Carlos Alcaraz questioned the use of the new system in their highly-anticipated first match. However, the human umpire still has the final say. How does the technology work? The line-call system was developed by the Sony-owned Hawk-Eye system. It uses AI to analyse footage from up to 18 cameras, which track the ball across the court. The company says that the tech issues a notification within a tenth of a second if the ball is out and can track the ball to within three millimetres. Live images of the ball can be verified by humans. Wimbledon is not the only tennis tournament to use tech; the US and Australian Opens use it too. However, the French Roland Garros tournament has kept its human line judges, with the organisers arguing for keeping with traditions. Hawk-Eye is also used in sports such as volleyball, football, and rugby.
Euronews
01-07-2025
- Sport
- Euronews
Wimbledon replaces sharply dresses line judges with AI to call shots
Technology is replacing tradition at the quintessentially British tennis grand slam, Wimbledon. The rules require players to wear all-white kits, and the tournament is known for serving strawberries and cream on the stands. But Wimbledon, which started on Monday, is for the first time breaking its 147-year tradition of having line judges in characteristic suits determine if the ball is in or out of bounds. They have been replaced with robots and artificial intelligence (AI) that uses camera footage to track the ball and make calls. There were some small protests against the technology's use outside the tournament, while some people on social media said that the missing human judges took the theatrics out of the game. But players also had some quibbles about the technology. In the women's draw, the Chinese player Yuan Yue said that the system was too quiet to hear the line calls. 'The voice, I cannot really hear it, it is a bit too low,' media outlets quoted her as saying. She said she asked the referee to turn up the volume, but that the referee told her he could not. 'I don't really mind, I just want to hear it clearly. [The umpire's] voice is a lot more loud than the automatic one so we can hear that clear. Other tournaments don't really have this problem,' she added. The technology, electronic line calling, was also used at the Queen's Club Championship in London earlier this month. "They have used very calm voices — it sort of sounds like the voice isn't sure," former line judge Pauline Eyre, who worked the lines at Wimbledon for 16 years, told BBC Sport. "Sort of like it's saying 'Out… I think'. It feels a bit awkward," she added. 'We will use different voices on different courts so there is no confusion across courts that are close together," Eloise Tyson, Head of Communications at Wimbledon, told BBC Sport. The AI-generated line caller is a recorded voice, but Wimbledon has said it will not make individuals the face of electronic line calling. Meanwhile, both Fabio Fognini and Carlos Alcaraz questioned the use of the new system in their highly-anticipated first match. However, the human umpire still has the final say. How does the technology work? The line-call system was developed by the Sony-owned Hawk-Eye system. It uses AI to analyse footage from up to 18 cameras, which track the ball across the court. The company says that the tech issues a notification within a tenth of a second if the ball is out and can track the ball to within three millimetres. Live images of the ball can be verified by humans. Wimbledon is not the only tennis tournament to use tech; the US and Australian Opens use it too. However, the French Roland Garros tournament has kept its human line judges, with the organisers arguing for keeping with traditions. Hawk-Eye is also used in sports such as volleyball, football, and rugby.
The Advertiser
26-06-2025
- Sport
- The Advertiser
Bernie's big breakthrough ends with Mallorca defeat
Bernard Tomic has enjoyed making tennis news for all the right reasons in the Mallorca Open, but has finally had his adventures back in the top-flight terminated ruthlessly by Spanish veteran Roberto Bautista Agut. The 32-year-old Tomic, who's delighted many within the sport by battling back in to his first main draw in a tour-level event since he qualified for the Australian Open back in 2021, went down 6-3 6-3 to the in-form seventh seed Bautista Agut, who last week reached the semi-finals at the Queen's Club Championship. Former world No.17 Tomic, whose victory over his fellow Australian Rinky Hijikata in the first round was his first triumph in a tour event main draw in 1597 days, couldn't keep the fairytale going on Wednesday as the 37-year-old 'RBA' earned early breaks in both sets to avoid any prospect of an upset. Tomic has been accused plenty of times in the past of not caring about the sport but his globetrotting battles to play in minor events over recent years have demonstrated that, actually, he still needs the sport and is determined to give everything in one last shot at making the top 100. Down at 248 in the rankings, his spirited run through qualifying and into the last-16 of the Spanish grass-court event will make sure he'll rise as high as No.214 next week. And though he decided to give Wimbledon qualifying a miss - he would have made the cut as an alternate if he hadn't decided instead to play in Mallorca - it seems sure he'll again be battling in the Flushing Meadows qualification for the US Open. If Tomic was a maverick from another era, French artist Corentin Moutet is a 2025 tennis cult figure, as he demonstrated by dishing up six underarm serves on his way to a second-round victory over Germany's Daniel Altmaier. He won three and lost three of the points in which he employed the tactic as he went on to win 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (7-3). He'll face his first ATP Tour quarter-final of the year against American Learner Tien, who upset top seed Ben Shelton 6-4 7-6 (7-2). In the Eastbourne International, Britain's 35-year-old Dan Evans again belied his world ranking of 170 as he knocked out American world No.13 Tommy Paul 6-4 3-6 6-3, having beaten world No.12 Frances Tiafoe at Queen's. Bernard Tomic has enjoyed making tennis news for all the right reasons in the Mallorca Open, but has finally had his adventures back in the top-flight terminated ruthlessly by Spanish veteran Roberto Bautista Agut. The 32-year-old Tomic, who's delighted many within the sport by battling back in to his first main draw in a tour-level event since he qualified for the Australian Open back in 2021, went down 6-3 6-3 to the in-form seventh seed Bautista Agut, who last week reached the semi-finals at the Queen's Club Championship. Former world No.17 Tomic, whose victory over his fellow Australian Rinky Hijikata in the first round was his first triumph in a tour event main draw in 1597 days, couldn't keep the fairytale going on Wednesday as the 37-year-old 'RBA' earned early breaks in both sets to avoid any prospect of an upset. Tomic has been accused plenty of times in the past of not caring about the sport but his globetrotting battles to play in minor events over recent years have demonstrated that, actually, he still needs the sport and is determined to give everything in one last shot at making the top 100. Down at 248 in the rankings, his spirited run through qualifying and into the last-16 of the Spanish grass-court event will make sure he'll rise as high as No.214 next week. And though he decided to give Wimbledon qualifying a miss - he would have made the cut as an alternate if he hadn't decided instead to play in Mallorca - it seems sure he'll again be battling in the Flushing Meadows qualification for the US Open. If Tomic was a maverick from another era, French artist Corentin Moutet is a 2025 tennis cult figure, as he demonstrated by dishing up six underarm serves on his way to a second-round victory over Germany's Daniel Altmaier. He won three and lost three of the points in which he employed the tactic as he went on to win 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (7-3). He'll face his first ATP Tour quarter-final of the year against American Learner Tien, who upset top seed Ben Shelton 6-4 7-6 (7-2). In the Eastbourne International, Britain's 35-year-old Dan Evans again belied his world ranking of 170 as he knocked out American world No.13 Tommy Paul 6-4 3-6 6-3, having beaten world No.12 Frances Tiafoe at Queen's. Bernard Tomic has enjoyed making tennis news for all the right reasons in the Mallorca Open, but has finally had his adventures back in the top-flight terminated ruthlessly by Spanish veteran Roberto Bautista Agut. The 32-year-old Tomic, who's delighted many within the sport by battling back in to his first main draw in a tour-level event since he qualified for the Australian Open back in 2021, went down 6-3 6-3 to the in-form seventh seed Bautista Agut, who last week reached the semi-finals at the Queen's Club Championship. Former world No.17 Tomic, whose victory over his fellow Australian Rinky Hijikata in the first round was his first triumph in a tour event main draw in 1597 days, couldn't keep the fairytale going on Wednesday as the 37-year-old 'RBA' earned early breaks in both sets to avoid any prospect of an upset. Tomic has been accused plenty of times in the past of not caring about the sport but his globetrotting battles to play in minor events over recent years have demonstrated that, actually, he still needs the sport and is determined to give everything in one last shot at making the top 100. Down at 248 in the rankings, his spirited run through qualifying and into the last-16 of the Spanish grass-court event will make sure he'll rise as high as No.214 next week. And though he decided to give Wimbledon qualifying a miss - he would have made the cut as an alternate if he hadn't decided instead to play in Mallorca - it seems sure he'll again be battling in the Flushing Meadows qualification for the US Open. If Tomic was a maverick from another era, French artist Corentin Moutet is a 2025 tennis cult figure, as he demonstrated by dishing up six underarm serves on his way to a second-round victory over Germany's Daniel Altmaier. He won three and lost three of the points in which he employed the tactic as he went on to win 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (7-3). He'll face his first ATP Tour quarter-final of the year against American Learner Tien, who upset top seed Ben Shelton 6-4 7-6 (7-2). In the Eastbourne International, Britain's 35-year-old Dan Evans again belied his world ranking of 170 as he knocked out American world No.13 Tommy Paul 6-4 3-6 6-3, having beaten world No.12 Frances Tiafoe at Queen's. Bernard Tomic has enjoyed making tennis news for all the right reasons in the Mallorca Open, but has finally had his adventures back in the top-flight terminated ruthlessly by Spanish veteran Roberto Bautista Agut. The 32-year-old Tomic, who's delighted many within the sport by battling back in to his first main draw in a tour-level event since he qualified for the Australian Open back in 2021, went down 6-3 6-3 to the in-form seventh seed Bautista Agut, who last week reached the semi-finals at the Queen's Club Championship. Former world No.17 Tomic, whose victory over his fellow Australian Rinky Hijikata in the first round was his first triumph in a tour event main draw in 1597 days, couldn't keep the fairytale going on Wednesday as the 37-year-old 'RBA' earned early breaks in both sets to avoid any prospect of an upset. Tomic has been accused plenty of times in the past of not caring about the sport but his globetrotting battles to play in minor events over recent years have demonstrated that, actually, he still needs the sport and is determined to give everything in one last shot at making the top 100. Down at 248 in the rankings, his spirited run through qualifying and into the last-16 of the Spanish grass-court event will make sure he'll rise as high as No.214 next week. And though he decided to give Wimbledon qualifying a miss - he would have made the cut as an alternate if he hadn't decided instead to play in Mallorca - it seems sure he'll again be battling in the Flushing Meadows qualification for the US Open. If Tomic was a maverick from another era, French artist Corentin Moutet is a 2025 tennis cult figure, as he demonstrated by dishing up six underarm serves on his way to a second-round victory over Germany's Daniel Altmaier. He won three and lost three of the points in which he employed the tactic as he went on to win 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (7-3). He'll face his first ATP Tour quarter-final of the year against American Learner Tien, who upset top seed Ben Shelton 6-4 7-6 (7-2). In the Eastbourne International, Britain's 35-year-old Dan Evans again belied his world ranking of 170 as he knocked out American world No.13 Tommy Paul 6-4 3-6 6-3, having beaten world No.12 Frances Tiafoe at Queen's.
7NEWS
25-06-2025
- Sport
- 7NEWS
Bernard Tomic's big breakthrough ends with disappointing defeat at Mallorca Open
Bernard Tomic has enjoyed making tennis news for all the right reasons in the Mallorca Open, but has finally had his adventures back in the top-flight terminated ruthlessly by Spanish veteran Roberto Bautista Agut. The 32-year-old Tomic, who's delighted many within the sport by battling back in to his first main draw in a tour-level event since he qualified for the Australian Open back in 2021, went down 6-3 6-3 to the in-form seventh seed Bautista Agut, who last week reached the semi-finals at the Queen's Club Championship. Former world No.17 Tomic, whose victory over his fellow Australian Rinky Hijikata in the first round was his first triumph in a tour event main draw in 1597 days, couldn't keep the fairytale going on Wednesday as the 37-year-old 'RBA' earned early breaks in both sets to avoid any prospect of an upset. Tomic has been accused plenty of times in the past of not caring about the sport but his globetrotting battles to play in minor events over recent years have demonstrated that, actually, he still needs the sport and is determined to give everything in one last shot at making the top 100. Down at 248 in the rankings, his spirited run through qualifying and into the last-16 of the Spanish grass-court event will make sure he'll rise as high as No.214 next week. And though he decided to give Wimbledon qualifying a miss - he would have made the cut as an alternate if he hadn't decided instead to play in Mallorca - it seems sure he'll again be battling in the Flushing Meadows qualification for the US Open. If Tomic was a maverick from another era, French artist Corentin Moutet is a 2025 tennis cult figure, as he demonstrated by dishing up six underarm serves on his way to a second-round victory over Germany's Daniel Altmaier. He won three and lost three of the points in which he employed the tactic as he went on to win 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (7-3). He'll face his first ATP Tour quarter-final of the year against American Learner Tien, who upset top seed Ben Shelton 6-4 7-6 (7-2). In the Eastbourne International, Britain's 35-year-old Dan Evans again belied his world ranking of 170 as he knocked out American world No.13 Tommy Paul 6-4 3-6 6-3, having beaten world No.12 Frances Tiafoe at Queen's.
West Australian
25-06-2025
- Sport
- West Australian
Bernie's big breakthrough ends with Mallorca defeat
Bernard Tomic has enjoyed making tennis news for all the right reasons in the Mallorca Open, but has finally had his adventures back in the top-flight terminated ruthlessly by Spanish veteran Roberto Bautista Agut. The 32-year-old Tomic, who's delighted many within the sport by battling back in to his first main draw in a tour-level event since he qualified for the Australian Open back in 2021, went down 6-3 6-3 to the in-form seventh seed Bautista Agut, who last week reached the semi-finals at the Queen's Club Championship. Former world No.17 Tomic, whose victory over his fellow Australian Rinky Hijikata in the first round was his first triumph in a tour event main draw in 1597 days, couldn't keep the fairytale going on Wednesday as the 37-year-old 'RBA' earned early breaks in both sets to avoid any prospect of an upset. Tomic has been accused plenty of times in the past of not caring about the sport but his globetrotting battles to play in minor events over recent years have demonstrated that, actually, he still needs the sport and is determined to give everything in one last shot at making the top 100. Down at 248 in the rankings, his spirited run through qualifying and into the last-16 of the Spanish grass-court event will make sure he'll rise as high as No.214 next week. And though he decided to give Wimbledon qualifying a miss - he would have made the cut as an alternate if he hadn't decided instead to play in Mallorca - it seems sure he'll again be battling in the Flushing Meadows qualification for the US Open. If Tomic was a maverick from another era, French artist Corentin Moutet is a 2025 tennis cult figure, as he demonstrated by dishing up six underarm serves on his way to a second-round victory over Germany's Daniel Altmaier. He won three and lost three of the points in which he employed the tactic as he went on to win 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (7-3). He'll face his first ATP Tour quarter-final of the year against American Learner Tien, who upset top seed Ben Shelton 6-4 7-6 (7-2). In the Eastbourne International, Britain's 35-year-old Dan Evans again belied his world ranking of 170 as he knocked out American world No.13 Tommy Paul 6-4 3-6 6-3, having beaten world No.12 Frances Tiafoe at Queen's.
