by Cicely Richard

Created on: May 12, 2009   Last Updated: May 29, 2009

Practically every tournament, tennis players dispute calls by line and chair umpires. These sometimes heated disputes have occurred from the time tennis became an organized sporting event. In the past, tennis players have had to fight against the words of their opponents and the umpires. Chair umpires, the guardians of the tennis court, ultimately decide whether or not calls should be changed. Only clay court and softer versions hard courts leave tangible evidence of ball landings. In the past few years, however, the use of instant replay in tennis has been an additional tool in tennis players' defense against human error. The transition toward using instant replay in tennis correlates to advances in technology.

Most tennis fans are familiar with the over-the-top tirades of John McEnroe. Those legendary outbursts are part of tennis history and examples of ungentlemanly conduct on the tennis court. Even the most ardent opponent of his bad behavior has to admit that underneath the rant are some kernels of truth. The human eye, no matter how keen, just can't pick up every ball. Nevertheless, a way to get a more accurate reading had to be discovered. One precursor to instant replay includes the use of sensors embedded in strategic areas of the tennis court.

When a tennis player serves the ball, the sensor goes off when they serve faults or the ball hits the net. This improvement works in conjunction with line and chair umpires. However, numerous instances occur where sensors malfunction. Sometimes, the beep occurs during inopportune times, even stopping play in the middle of the point because of this. In humorous cases, the simple act of a bird floating by sets of the machine. The use of instant replay in tennis counteracts this mechanical difficulty.

The first journey toward instant replay started with the use of Hawk-Eye and MacCam at different tournaments. These instruments provide close views of ball landings. The picture was so clear that it was as if fans were on the court with lines persons. Because the pictures were so clear, the debate over the use of instant replay in tennis set off. This happened during the 1990s; however, even with definitive evidence of a missed call, tennis officials did not use instant replay.

This changed in the 21st century. Players, commentators, and sports writers and reporters sounded off on their opinions of using instant replay. Most tennis insiders, notable John McEnroe, supported the use of this new technology. Finally, in 2006, instant replay became an official part of tennis. Instant replay used with umpires and lines people has improved accuracy in the game.

The use of instant replay in tennis generally has favorable review from players and fans alike. When tennis players request instant replay, fan even join in and howl as the ball moves across the screen. Instant replay is not perfect; however, as technology advances, instant replay will likely improve with time.

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