- By Jonathan Jureyko
- ` Sport at Flushing Meadows
2 hours ago
image source, Getty Images
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Andy Murray reached the second round of the US Open after beating France’s Corentin Moutet
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Venue: Flushing Meadows, New York Dates: August 28 – September 10 |
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Reporting: Live daily text and radio commentary on the ` Sport website, app, ` Radio 5 Live and 5 Sports Extra |
Grand Slam tennis had its first experience of a video-based scoring system at the US Open – but the moment in history was labeled a “farce” by Andy Murray after the technology failed.
While Britain’s Murray was serving to victory in his first-round match in New York, his opponent Corentin Moutet challenged the technology to control a double bounce, which was not called by referee Louise Engzell.
The officer pulled out headphones to listen while attempting to watch an instant replay of the incident.
But after a long delay, Engzell announced that the video verification “didn’t work”.
“It took about four minutes to make a decision,” said Murray, who was 15-30 down in a game where he served for the match.
“I’m a professional using technology to make the right calls – but it has to work. When it goes like this, it becomes a kind of farce.”
The Swedish referee was unable to see the replays on her tablet, meaning she was unable to make a decision, although the large screens in Flushing Meadows’ main field showed her, the players and the crowd what had happened.
“This is supposed to be the official feed,” Engzell told the two players while pointing to her personal screen.
“I have nothing here. VAR has stopped working.”
Addressing the entire stadium, she said: “Unfortunately, the VR doesn’t work, what you see here is from TV, so the original call remains.
US Open officials confirmed that the special tablet on the field had malfunctioned and stopped transmitting the verifiable video.
“Protocol requires a video review and all review-based calls from the referee to be made through the video streamed on his on-pitch tablet,” organizers said.
“If the video is not available on the referee’s tablet, the original call remains on the pitch.
“Immediately after the game, the broken tablet in the stands was repaired.”
Technology has been a key part of tennis for many years to decide line calls, but it’s the first time referees have access to video assist review.
The US Open introduced the system for chair umpires to be able to review incidents — double rebounds, obstructions, and a player touching the ball or net — immediately when challenged by a player.
“I knew VR existed, I don’t know how they use it,” said Murray, who equalized after the decision and gave serve in the same game.
“Maybe it wasn’t on the referee’s tablet but it was on the big screens where they showed several different angles and from the second angle it’s pretty clear it had bounced twice.”
“I don’t know who is making the call because she said it wasn’t available for her so she went on with the original call.
“I’m glad the original call went through and I got the point.”
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