“Given today’s pace of the game, with players serving 150 miles per hour and forehands and backhands as hard as they are, it lends itself to taking a look at some of the technology.”ARLEN KANTARIAN, chief executive of USTA Professional Tennis.
The outrageously bad calls by chair umpire Mariana Alves and her team of linemates during Tuesday night’s Serena Williams-Jennifer Capriati match spurred rampant talk of initiating an instant replay system for future tournaments.
Right now, though, it’s just that – talk.
During qualifying for this year’s Open, the USTA tested a product from a Toronto-based company called Auto-Ref, which utilizes numerous cameras at speeds of 120 frames per second.
The Auto-Ref technology has a margin of error of 1-3 millimeters. The Hawk Eye, or Shot Spot, technology that is sued for television broadcasts has a margin of errors 2-4 centimeters.
“Given today’s pace of the game, with players serving 150 miles per hour and forehands and backhands as hard as they are, it lends itself to taking a look at some of the technology,” said Arlen Kantarian, the chief executive of USTA Professional Tennis. “We don’t want to go out with a system that’s 90 percent. We need to have it at 100 percent.”
There are still some logistics that would have to be worked out if an instant replay system were installed.
Would new technology be used during every tournament, or just Grand Slam events? Would it only be used in show courts, or outer courts as well? Would every questionable call be reviewed?
“Those are some of the things that will take us a few months to discuss,” Kantarian said. “All the governing bodies of tennis would have to be involved . . . I could envision some certain center and show courts and not some outside courts.”
Ironically, after her third-round match, Capriati questioned some of the call accuracy and thought an instant replay strategy of some sort would be beneficial to the game.
“Even from watching other matches, [the calls] haven’t been too good,” she said. “I really think they should look into having the Hawk Eye on the umpire’s chair. This level of the game, when it’s so close, and one or two shots can make a difference, I don’t think it’s fair.”
Davis Cup captain Patrick McEnroe, during his press conference to announce the team that will take on Belarus Sept. 24-26, said a player challenge system should be implemented.
“I think it adds a little more intrigue to a player making the decision, ‘Do I question that one? Do I use up one of [my challenges]?’ ” McEnroe said.
The USTA received hundreds of e-mails and phone calls complaining about the poor umpiring during Tuesday night’s Capriati-Williams quarterfinal match. A day later, it was still a hot topic.
“Maybe they should [have instant replay],” Chris Evert told The Post. “She (Serena) got four bad calls. It’s OK if you get one. Human error is the difference between a win and a loss . . . they should have two challenges per match.”
Said Jim Courier: “They were incorrect. And they were out of balance. All the calls were against Serena. She’s right, she was robbed.”
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Yesterday’s day session was officially called off at 5:26 p.m. All juniors matches were moved indoors. The matches took place at the Sound Shore Indoor Tennis Centre, about a half-hour drive from the U.S. Tennis Center at Flushing Meadows.
All juniors were taken to the indoor facility by bus . . . .Little to anyone’s surprise, McEnroe named Andy Roddick, Mardy Fish, and the doubles team of Bob and Mike Bryan to the Davis Cup team.
