Wimbledon apologises to Pavlyuchenkova and Kartal for line-call error

Dubai: Wimbledon organisers have issued an apology to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Sonay Kartal after a malfunction in the new electronic line-calling system caused a key officiating error during their fourth-round match on Centre Court.

The incident occurred during a tense first set when a backhand from Kartal clearly sailed long — but no call came. Pavlyuchenkova, who had held game point at 4-4, stopped playing. Umpire Nico Helwerth also paused the match after seeing the ball land out, but instead of awarding the point, he ruled that it be replayed. Kartal went on to break serve and take the lead.

The All England Club initially said the system had been “deactivated on the point in question” due to “operator error”. On further investigation, a spokesperson confirmed that the electronic line-calling (ELC) system had been accidentally turned off on one side of the court for a full game.

“In that time, there were three calls not picked up by live ELC,” the statement read. “Two were made by the chair umpire, who was unaware the system had been deactivated. Following the third, the chair umpire stopped play and consulted with the review official. It was determined the point should be replayed.”

The spokesperson added: “We have apologised to the players involved. We continue to have full confidence in the accuracy of the ball-tracking technology. In this instance, there was a human error and we have reviewed our processes and made the appropriate changes.”

Pavlyuchenkova was visibly frustrated after the decision. Speaking after the match, she said: “It was very confusing in the beginning because the ball looked very long to me. It was a crucial moment in the match. I just thought the chair umpire could take the initiative. That’s why he’s there.”

She also questioned whether the home crowd and British opponent played a role. “I don’t know if it’s something to do because she’s local,” she added. “We are losing a bit of the charm of having human beings. It just becomes a bit weird — sort of robot-orientated.”

Kartal, meanwhile, said she didn’t know whether the ball was in or out but defended the umpire’s handling of the situation. “That situation is a rarity,” she said. “The umpire is trying his best in that situation. I think the fairest way was what he did — to replay the point.”

Despite the controversy, Pavlyuchenkova bounced back impressively, saving a set point in the next game before dominating the tiebreak and sealing a 7-6 (3), 6-4 win in just over two hours to reach the quarter-finals.

The error has raised fresh concerns about the fully automated officiating system introduced at Wimbledon in 2025, ending the tournament’s 150-year history of using human line judges. While similar systems have been used across the ATP and many WTA events — as well as at the Australian Open and US Open — the French Open remains the only Grand Slam still using human judges.