by Roger Moore

Created on: May 10, 2009

It's the championship final of the French Open. After a five-hour marathon both players are exhausted from baseline rallies that often last longer than a half-inning of baseball.

Both can taste the trophy and know what it would mean to their young tennis careers.

And then it happens on deuce in the fifth set at 5-all.

A forehand sails long, just outside the baseline. Both players know the shot is out, but the linesman in the appropriate spot does not make the call. The recipient of the wrong call wins the next point to take the game and goes on to win the next game to win the match.

Although there are hundreds of points in a five-set tennis match, could that one wrong call have been the difference in determining the winner?

Technology is trying to keep that from happening.

Throughout the history of tennis, linesmen and chair umpires have been the final authority. A tennis match is conducted between players singles and doubles and officials (linesmen and chair umpires) oversee the play. If a ball is out the appropriate call is made.

However, that's not always the case.

Human error does occur, and most involved with tennis will tell you that matches, and line calls, are called properly more times than not. Still, why not get the calls right every time with the possible aid of available technology, something that has been used more and more over the past decade at the top professional tournaments.

Cameras, with the aid of computers, are able to keep an extra eye on the tennis court. It allows players and the chair umpire to check the calls of linesman.

For instance, if an Andy Roddick serve hit at 135 miles per hour appears to catch the line but is called out by a linesman; Mr. Roddick is able to challenge the call. Players receive so many challenges per set. If they challenge and the linesman's call was correct they lose that challenge. If the replay shows the incorrect call then the point is either replayed or the challenger wins the point if it is deemed a winner by the chair umpire.

The world's biggest tournaments, the French, Australian and United States Opens, plus Wimbledon, are contested at facilities with as many as 12 courts. Not all courts have the technology installed; therefore the players not playing on the featured courts do not get the benefit of this new technology. It still and will always require the human eye.

But in the most high-profile matches at the most prestigious tournaments, technology has started to lend a helping hand or eye.

In a perfect world where nobody made mistakes there would be no need for such technology. Playing for millions of dollars with millions of people watching why not make sure you get it right. Of course a camera, or computer, can also make a mistake.

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