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Raducanu and Draper criticise Wimbledon's 'disappointing' automated line-calling system

Emma Raducanu was beaten by Aryna Sabalenka at Wimbledon
Emma Raducanu was beaten by Aryna Sabalenka at WimbledonDan Istitene / GETTY IMAGES EUROPE / Getty Images via AFP
Emma Raducanu has called on Wimbledon to improve the accuracy of its electronic line calling after questioning the technology following her defeat to Aryna Sabalenka.

A fully automated system has been put to use for the first time ever at SW19 this year, replacing human line judges and eliminating the need for challenges.

Raducanu queried a Sabalenka first serve to the umpire during her third-round defeat, which was ruled to have clipped the line.

The shot in question took place at 2-4, 15-0 in the first set, although replays appeared to show the ball miss the line.

The call helped Sabalenka move up 30-0 and hold serve in a key game which set her on the way to launching a comeback after an early deficit.

"That call was for sure out," Raducanu told a press conference after falling 7-6(6), 6-4 to the world number one.

"It's kind of disappointing, the tournament here, that the calls can be so wrong, but for the most part they've been OK.

"I've had a few in my other matches, too, that have been very wrong. Hopefully they can fix that."

Raducanu has not been the only critic of the technology, with British men's number one Jack Draper adamant it made several errors during his second-round loss to Marin Cilic.

"I don't think it's 100 per cent accurate, in all honesty," Draper said. "A couple of the ones today it showed a mark on the court. There's no way the chalk would have showed."

Reigning men's champion Carlos Alcaraz also voiced his uncertainty about the system, telling the umpire during his win over Jan-Lennard Struff: "I'm not sure about it. I would have asked for a challenge. It's not the first time I've seen the machine… it's not the first time. I'm not sure about some calls."

On Friday, Wimbledon tournament director Jamie Baker came out in defence of the system, pointing to its standardised use at the Australian Open, US Open and across the ATP Tour.

"The concept of live line calling is absolutely standard across the tour now," he said. "Two of the other Grand Slams have had it for four or five years.

"The accuracy and the reliability and the robustness of the system and the process as a whole, in terms of officiating, is in as good a place as it has been for tennis."

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