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WTA Players in Charleston Adjust to Electronic Line Calling on Clay

By TieBreakNewsPosted on
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Hailey Baptiste

Photo credit: Charleston Tennis LLC

CHARLESTON—Electronic Line Calling (ELC Live) is now making its debut on clay courts, but not everyone is sure it’s 100% accurate.

The WTA 500 Credit One Charleston Open is one of the first tournaments to utilize ELC Live on clay.

“The introduction of Electronic Line Calling at the Credit One Charleston Open is a major milestone, not just for Charleston but for all clay tournaments on the Hologic WTA Tour,” said Tournament Director Bob Moran. “This groundbreaking technology will bring enhanced accuracy and consistency to line calls across clay courts, setting a new standard in tennis.”

While ELC Live has become a regular feature at hard and grass court events, clay has proved a challenge due to the surface’s unique nature. ELC Live now determines where a ball lands mainly by using the dust created when the ball lands, along with the mark it leaves, to determine its exact location.

In the past, players would often rely on the mark on the court to make their case with the umpire, but now ELC Live will have the final say on every call.

Players in Charleston this week are getting used to ELC Live on clay, but some still have doubts. Hailey Baptiste shared her experience, saying that while she is comfortable with ELC Live, she is still adjusting to its implementation on clay.

“I asked a question yesterday in my doubles match, if we saw a mark and you can see the ball is out with the mark, but the electronic line calling calls it in, (we asked) ‘What do we go by?’” Baptiste said. “And (the umpire said), with the machine.

“And I couldn’t understand that at first, but then she was like, (it’s) where the dust could move from (the ball). So that was my only concern.”

Danielle Collins, while acknowledging that ELC Live speeds up play, is concerned about its larger impact on line judges who work in the sport.

“Electronic line calling can be a good thing. I’m not always convinced that the electronic line calling is always accurate,” Collins said. “I mean, it’s a robot, right?

“Like there’s going to be technical difficulties. I’ve had other matches where we’ve had the electronic line calls and it’s very clear, that there’s some shady calls, on both sides.”

“I do appreciate, too, having line judges and the opportunity that gives people to have jobs, because I think right now there’s a lot of jobs being taken away because of electronics.

“So that’s a scary thing. That’s a scary concept that we’re dealing with in our lifetime.”

“So I kind of like having the line judges for that purpose, and the tradition of having them. But I also understand how the electronic line calls can kind of speed up play.”

Later this season, ELC Live will also be used at WTA 1000 events at the Mutua Madrid Open and the Internazionali BNL d’Italia (Rome).