TENNIS Magazine (Sept.'08): US Open Preview (page 58)
30 Years, 30 Moments: Vulgar, exhilarating, noisy, democratic, greed-fueled, glamorous: These are only a few of the descriptions given to Flushing Meadows since it became host to the US Open in 1978. TENNIS looks back at 30 moments that have shaped the modern Open, for better and for worse.
# 23 - A Bad Call Ushers In A New Era (2004)
It takes a lot for John McEnroe to say that a call was the worst he'd ever seen in his years at the U.S. Open. But this was indeed a very bad call. Serena Williams and Jennifer Capriati were in the third set of their quarterfinal. Williams hit a backhand winner inside the sideline. Except that chair umpire Mariana Alves didn't see it that way. She overruled the call and awarded the point to Capriati. Open officials later issued an apology to Williams, who lost the match, and didn't send Alves back on court for the rest of the tournament. More important, the error strengthened the case for using instant-replay technology - which had been available only on TV broadcasts up to that point - to review line calls. Two years later, the replay challenge system made its Grand Slam debut at the Open.
* Later in the final set, replays showed at least two other incorrect calls that went against Williams.
1 comment:
There were 5/6 other bad calls agst. Serena also. The whole match is on YouTube. Since Hawkeye is in use, the officials have been using foot faults agst. Serena & Venus to compromise their powerful serves. Foot faults are not reviewable yet and so line officials take full advantage of it.
Post a Comment