The Wimbledon organizer defended the implementation of AI line judges after Jack Draper claimed the technology wasn’t “100% precise.”
The UK’s first-line judge was deemed “embarrassing” and removed after colliding with 36-year-old former finalist Marin Cilic in the second round.
The 23-year-old Draper expressed his frustration with the AI-enhanced Hawk-Eye system during Thursday’s match, especially after a contested serve from his opponent went unchallenged over four sets.
“Honestly, I don’t think it’s 100% precise,” he mentioned in a post-match conference. “Some of the calls today showed marks on the court. There’s no way chalk would indicate that. I don’t believe it’s 100% precise—it’s in millimeters.”
He acknowledged that it was unfortunate the judge was removed but conceded he might have been wrong regarding a specific call.
Tournament Director Jamie Baker stood by the system’s accuracy and refrained from commenting on whether he missed the human line judge, who had been part of Wimbledon’s tradition for 147 years.
Baker stated: “The concept of live line calling is standard across the tour. It’s essential for the entire ATP tour. Two of the other Grand Slams have utilized it for four or five years.”
“What that means is the level of refinement and authentication around the system becomes increasingly specialized and robust over time.”
“The overall accuracy, reliability, and robustness of the system are on par with tennis from a moderation standpoint.”
Baker refuted claims that the electronic system influenced Ben Shelton’s decision to halt his second match, which occurred while the 22-year-old American was serving.
Shelton, ranked No. 10 in the world, was outraged at the judge’s ruling, which came at 9:31 PM due to diminishing sunlight. Baker asserted that the decision was not related to technology and that the match could continue later.
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Baker remarked: “It won’t be effective if no one is able to call the lines, but we haven’t hit that threshold yet, although we are getting closer.
“It’s not just about how technology has evolved, but also about the number of cameras on each court, allowing for longer playtime with the challenge system.”
Baker noted that players were previously able to continue playing as daylight faded, but they have since struggled to manage this.
“Sometimes players liked it, sometimes they didn’t,” he said. “In reality, we have more time now that we can extend matches. But last night, we were approaching the limit, and hadn’t quite reached it yet.”
“This sport requires high-level performance at a fast pace, and when darkness falls, it becomes a challenge even for seasoned officials.”
Source: www.theguardian.com
