British No.1 tennis star Jack Draper has complained about Hawk-Eye technology following his Wimbledon defeat to Marin Cilic on Thursday.
Wimbledon made a big change this year by bringing in the electric line calling system to replace line judges for the first time in 148 years.
Draper is adamant that the new technology is not ‘100 per cent accurate’ after he challenged a number of calls in his second-round loss to Cilic.
Speaking in his post-match press conference after Cilic beat him 6-4 6-3 1-6 6-4, Draper was quizzed about Hawk-Eye and said: ‘Yeah, I don’t think it’s 100 per cent accurate, in all honesty.
‘A couple of the ones today, it showed, like, a mark on the court. There’s no way the chalk would have showed.’
‘It can’t be 100 per cent accurate’
Draper, who was tipped as a dark hose to clinch the Wimbledon trophy at the start of the tournament, added: ‘I guess it can’t be 100 per cent accurate.
What is Hawk-Eye?
Up to 18 cameras – developed by Hawk-Eye – are now situated around each court at Wimbledon to track the progress of the ball and determine whether it is in or out.
They have replaced the 300 line judges that have been used for the past 148 years, with Wimbledon now using the same technology as other Grand Slam events.
‘It’s millimetres. It’s for both ways. I think it’s a shame that the umpires aren’t involved.
‘It’s obviously something that makes it easier for the players because we don’t have to worry about line calls.’
Asked about a specific call in the fourth set which left him frustrated, Draper continued: ‘I mean, I thought the ball may have been wide.
‘There was no chalk. I guess on the Hawk-Eye it showed there was only a margin. There was a mark that suggested it would have been wide.
I had an earlier one that was maybe a little bit off that I saw, but I could be wrong… I probably am wrong.’
‘Draper was bludgeoned by Cilic’
Draper has described his painful defeat to Cilic as one of his ‘toughest losses’, admitting that he is really upset and that it hurts a lot.
But former Wimbledon champion Pat Cash says Croatian veteran Cilic deserves a lot of credit for his performance, especially after bouncing back from injury problems at the age of 36.
Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live about Draper’s loss to the 2014 US Open champion and former world No.3, Cash said: ‘We are all stunned. What a performance from Cilic. We have to absorb that.
‘Draper didn’t do an awful lot wrong but when Cilic is hot he can take the racket out of your hand. Draper had no control.
‘Cilic is a Grand Slam champion and he bludgeoned Draper. You’ve got to give him credit. Amazing performance.
‘To play at this level, it was absolutely extraordinary. We knew he could play like this at his peak but after all his surgeries… you know, he’s a tall and lanky guy, if you’ve got a problem with your knee it makes it very tough to get around the court. But his tactics were spot on.
‘Draper will be upset about it but you’ve got to give a huge amount of credit to Cilic. When he’s on fire, very few people can stay with him.’
