A profound change is on the horizon in tennis. In the future, the ATP players’ association will rely on technical solutions across the board for men’s tournaments when making decisions as to whether a ball was in the field. Instead of classic line judges, an electronic live system should be used on the entire ATP tour from 2025, according to a statement on Friday. There have been tests with this technology since 2017, which has recently been used more and more often due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“This is a milestone for our sport and one that we have not achieved without careful consideration,” said ATP boss Andrea Gaudenzi. “Tradition is at the core of tennis, and line judges have played an important role over the years.” However, the organization has a responsibility to embrace innovation and new technologies. Tennis deserves “the most accurate form” of decision-making, the former Italian pro said.
In the past, world number one Novak Djokovic, among others, had advocated the abolition of linesmen. The technology is so advanced that a video surveillance system can be used, argued the Serb on this issue.
The pros are currently still playing without the new technology and with linesmen, and things are going better for the German men than they have in a long time. In any case, Daniel Altmaier and Yannick Hanfmann surprisingly reached the third round of the Masters tournament in Madrid. The 24-year-old Altmaier from Kempen prevailed on Friday in 1:42 hours 6: 4, 7: 5 against his five-year-old opponent Oscar Otte from Cologne. Qualifier Hanfmann from Weinheim (31) then defeated number 15 seeded Italian Lorenzo Musetti in 1:48 hours 6:4, 7:6 (7:3).
Altmaier and Hanfmann now meet in a duel for the round of 16. They are each in the top 32 of a Masters 1000 tournament for the first time in their careers.
Altmaier had actually failed in qualifying at the clay court event. However, he benefited from the cancellation of the seeded Spaniard Pablo Carreño Busta, subsequently moved into the main draw and thereby directly into the second round. Hanfmann had already fought his way through qualification and thus won his fourth game in a row in Madrid against the highly rated Musetti. In the men’s competition, the German professionals Alexander Zverev and Jan-Lennard Struff are also in the second round.
Tatjana Maria and Laura Siegemund were eliminated in the second round for the women. Maria (35) was clearly beaten 6-1, 6-3 by American Bernarda Pera, who was seeded number 28. For Siegemund (35) came the 6: 7 (6: 8), 3: 6 against Petra Martic from Croatia.
This makes Jule Niemeier the last remaining German tennis player in the tournament. Thanks to a strong performance, the 23-year-old from Dortmund defeated the Czech Petra Kvitova and will meet the Belgian Elise Mertens in the third round, who is ranked 24th.