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Tennis Adjustments: Line Judges and Recent Matches

While various surfaces in tennis have embraced technological enhancements, clay events traditionally relied on line judges to settle contested calls. This involved umpires descending from their chairs to inspect marks left by the tennis ball.

However, a significant shift has occurred this season, as line judges have been eliminated from all ATP Tour events, alongside many on the WTA Tour. This transition signifies a move towards greater reliance on technology and automated systems to ensure fair play.

In juxtaposition, the upcoming French Open, set to begin next month, will maintain the use of line judges, preserving a traditional element of the game amidst the ongoing evolution of tennis officiating.

The topic of line calls has sparked recent controversy, highlighted by world number one Aryna Sabalenka receiving a warning for photographing a match in Stuttgart. In a similar vein, former Grand Slam champion Victoria Azarenka shared a snapshot of an on-court call from another match in Madrid, bringing further attention to the issue.

In match results from the Spanish capital, defending champion Andrey Rublev faced a setback, losing 6-4, 0-6, 6-4 to Alexander Bublik. This defeat results in Rublev falling from the top 15 in global rankings.

On the women’s side, top seed Sabalenka managed to turn the tide after dropping the first set, ultimately defeating Elise Mertens with a score of 3-6, 6-2, 6-1. Conversely, third seed Jessica Pegula and sixth seed Jasmine Paolini faced early exits from the tournament. Pegula was upset by Japan’s Moyuka Uchijima, losing 6-3, 6-2, while Paolini succumbed to Maria Sakkari from Greece, with a scoreline of 6-2, 6-1.

Source
www.bbc.com