New US Open video review system fails on first try

The footage of Corentin Moutet's kick missed the referee's monitor, turning the vision system into a farce. Photo: US Open

Var has been the scourge of football fans for many years. But on Tuesday it was the tennis players' turn to embrace new technology, and the results were mixed.

The video review (VR) system used at this year's US Open broke down during Andy Murray's first-round win. over Corentin Moutet on Tuesday.

What is video review in tennis and how did it turn out?

VR in tennis: what is it?

After a series of disagreements among the referees at the French Open in May, when players complained about inaccurate or controversial decisions, the US Open decided to create a video review feature.

This is nothing new as several ATP events such as the ATP Final, Next Gen Final and ATP Cup are already using VR. But this is the first major time this has happened.

As with the HawkEye system used to call the Wimbledon line, the player gets three trials per set and one more in the tiebreak. However, these situations are much less common than hardline calls. So it's hard to imagine anyone ever using all their resources.

Here are some of the solutions that can be attributed to VR:

• The ball bounced more than once before making contact.
• Correct shot due to a double touch.
• Bad shot due to the ball not crossing the net.
• Touching the net while the ball is in play.
• Interfering (usually an inappropriate shout before an opponent kicks)

What happened in Murray's match?

Mute became the first player to use VR in a Major, using his challenge in the final game of his straight set loss to Murray.

The problem arose after tower umpire Louise Engzell called Muthe «not up to par», stating that he was unable to land Murray's racket before the ball bounced twice.

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VAR didn't quite work at the US Open between Corentin Moutet and Andy Murray 📺 pic.twitter.com/oV4WOWnvIu

— Sky Sports (@SkySports)) August 29, 2023

At this point, Engzell contacted the VR operators and asked for video footage. Unfortunately, her tablet was out of order and refused to show it. During an embarrassing five-minute delay that elicited slow handclaps from the crowd, slow-motion replays were displayed on the big screen, suggesting that the ball had indeed bounced twice.

But Engzell was unable to use this evidence, as they were provided by the US Open television staff and not verified VR representatives. As a result, she announced that the technology had failed and her original call would remain in place.

Mute was clearly unhappy with the technical issues. Photo: AP/Mary Altaffer

Mute was never the most philosophical of the players, he was clearly unhappy. “They don’t have replay, it doesn’t work,” he shouted at his game box. «What's the point?» one angry fan shouted, while others booed.

What did the players say?

A confused Murray told reporters: “I don’t know exactly how it should work and who should make the decision, because from the video it was quite clear that the ball bounced twice.

“We watched it about 10 times. Obviously, at a very important moment of the match, everything did not go according to plan. So yes, it would be nice if they fixed it.»

Murray was confused by the video review Credit: Reuters /Mike Segar Are robots taking over?

Automated line judges are now standard on tour hard court events, including the US Open and Australian Open, even though Wimbledon and the French Open still remain in force. folks.

As for the video review, the start was disappointing, but it has more to do with the clunky tablet than with anything more meaningful. In all likelihood, other Grand Slams will soon follow the example of the US Open. Most players are interested in expanding the role of technology. Ultimately, they have the loudest voice.