ELECTRONIC LINE CALLING

IS HERE TO STAY

Not long ago, the ATP Tour announced that, starting in 2025, electronic lines will be used in every tournament on the men’s circuit. The way I look at it, this decision to, of course, stick with umpires while eliminating all lines personnel the year after next, is a logical and important step in the evolution of tennis officiating. Electronic Line Calling Live (ELC Live) will usher in a new level of professionalism to the sport, ensure players can focus solely on carrying out a winning game plan without worrying about disputing line calls, and guarantee near-perfect accuracy across the board. This is, above all else, a victory for the players.

Think about how much officiating in the upper regions of the game has changed. Before the Hawk-Eye Line-Calling System moved into the mainstream of tennis 17 years ago, if a bad call was made, the only way a player could have it reversed was if an umpire overruled. Hawk-Eye enhanced the game immeasurably, allowing the competitors recourse after an erroneous decision was made by a lines person.

The problem with the challenge system has always been forcing players to be judicious. They might succeed in getting some injustices remedied, but not all. They can’t see every wrong call while they are in perpetual motion. Just as lines personnel understandably make mistakes, so too do the players. In a Rafael Nadal-Roger Federer quarterfinal contest at Cincinnati in 2013, the Spaniard laced an inside-out forehand for an apparent winner on match point at 5-3 in the final set. There was no out call from the linesmen. Federer walked up to the net, shook hands, and conceded defeat to his chief rival without challenging the call. Nadal triumphed 5-7, 6-4, 6-3.

But the Hawk-Eye replay on television revealed Nadal’s forehand landed wide. Once the ATP Tour goes to the electronic lines calling system full-time in 2025, there could be no such occurrence. The electronic lines have been phased in over recent years at some tournaments (starting with the Next Gen Finals in 2017), gaining widespread approval among the players. Thankfully, there will soon be uniformity with this brand of officiating.

The challenge system was a step in the right direction, but it was not built to correct every erroneous call. Some learned observers may lament the loss of animated interaction between human beings calling lines and players chagrined by questionable calls, but the machines will surely get it right more than the human eye ever could.

As NBC tennis analyst Mary Carillo told me in a recent conversation, “The game has gotten so physical and so fast. There is so much spin on the ball. You cannot ask a person to try to keep up with the pace and weight of shot. It is unreasonable to think lines people can make calls better than technology can do it.”

That is, in my view, indisputable. Yet there can be snags periodically, as the highly respected coach Brad Stine discovered last year during the U.S. Open, when his charge Tommy Paul was playing a match and a ball that seemed clearly long was not called out. An official came out at the subsequent changeover and, as Stine recalls, “recalibrated the camera on that baseline. So, I don’t think it is completely infallible, but the accuracy level is way, way better than when we had just umpires and linesmen doing it. The electronic lines system is a better one than players having the ability to challenge calls. But they still must make sure they are getting it right all the time.”

Fair point. But I am confident the electronic lines will become even more precise. As Carillo says, “I honestly think this is the way to go. Everyone should just calm down and trust the technology. This was always coming and now it is here.”

The public might reflect on days gone by, and altercations between linesmen and hot-blooded competitors like John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors. So be it. The professionalism of officiating is far more important.

As Stine concludes, “The electronic lines [system] creates much greater peace of mind among the players. It will be an overall better and cleaner presentation for the game without lines people out on the court, highlighting a more gladiatorial type of dynamic with the two combatants. Players will more easily stay focused and play better. You are not going to find anybody that says they want to go back to lines people.” *

Good Compression Wear:

Creating Tomorrow’s Lower Body Health Today

By Jonathan Oe

Let’s face it, tennis and pickleball take a toll on your lower body. And the effect is cumulative. The more you play, the more fatigue you stack on top of the previous day’s fatigue. Muscles lose pliability and begin to pull on ligaments and tendons, providing the perfect scenario for injuries to occur. Tennis and other court sports require sudden starting, stopping and change of direction. Labrum damage and other injuries to the hips are common. And strained hips can also lead to issues in your lower back and distortions in your physique as you age.

But there are simple ways to fight back. In addition to proper hydration, training and stretching, using GOOD compression tights are a fundamental piece of improving your lower body health.

But what is GOOD compression wear? Most compression wear purchased at retail is cosmetic in nature.

It’s flimsy and offers little-to-no support. You can also oppositely experience over-compression that can be uncomfortable and feels like your circulation is being cut off, decreasing performance and restricting your movement.

What you are searching for is a balanced compression. Balanced compression provides a supporting structure for your hips, glutes, quads and hamstrings. It is soothing, comfortable and gives you reassuring confidence as you move. Good compression tights have been proven in professional sports to improve blood circulation, reduce inflammation and speed recovery.

Compression tights benefits add up to less wearand-tear on the court, leaving your body in better condition at the end of each day. Think about what an advantage this is during multi-day tournaments. Fatigue is cumulative, and as a tournament marches on, it can turn into a war of physical attrition as much as pure skill. But this goes far beyond competitive tennis. How about the thousands of tennis instructors who are on their feet for hours every day? By reducing your fatigue each day, you are in better shape to take on tomorrow’s opponent or wake up feeling better to take on your day.

Incrementally reducing the stress on your lower body is a daily mission that can change your life. Bad hips and lower bodies are linked to lower back issues. As we age, those accumulated aches, pains and injuries build and distort our alignment and physique. It can affect our activities and confidence to take on those things we love to do. Do you enjoy cycling, hiking, dancing or going on long walks? Do you want to continue playing tennis or pickleball?

Choosing to wear good compression tights can help you get there. *

USPTA Members can sign up for the USPTA Ambassador Program to receive a gift pair of tights, future 25% product discounts and 15% sales commissions for promoting this award-winning product. To register, go to www.leorever.com, scroll to bottom of page, click on “USPTA Ambassador Program” and complete the form to get your complimentary pair of compression tights.

Jonathan Oe is the designer and CEO of LEORÊVER - manufacturer of luxury compression wear and activewear. LEORÊVER is the official compression wear of the USPTA and Association of Pickleball Professionals, and Men’s Health Magazine Compression Award winner. He is a former vice president of Gilda Marx Bodywear and has designed and produced custom compression wear for the Los Angeles Lakers, Brooklyn Nets, San Antonio Spurs and Los Angeles Chargers.