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Tennis calling on instant replays

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Technology (general)
Roger Federer
Andy Roddick
Tennis

NEW YORK (Reuters) -- This year's U.S. Open will become the first grand slam event to use instant replays for disputed line calls, the United States Tennis Association said on Monday.

"With the speed and power of today's game, the time has come for tennis to benefit from new technology...." Arlen Kantarian, chief executive for professional tennis at the USTA, said.

The system will get its first use at the NASDAQ-100 Open beginning on March 22 in Miami -- an ATP and WTA event.

"This new breakthrough -- perhaps the most significant change to the game since the tie-breaker -- will improve line calls for players, while adding excitement and intrigue for fans and TV viewers," Kantarian added.

WTA president Larry Scott said he welcomed the introduction of replay technology, especially at the U.S. Open which begins on August 28 in New York.

"There have been quite a few notable matches over the past couple of years where the line calls were questionable and in fact proved to be wrong," he said.

"So much is on the line. The opportunity to know the right call is impossible to resist."

Under the system, each player will receive two challenges per set to review close line calls.

Once a player challenges a call, the official replay will be provided to the chair umpire and also shown simultaneously to the television broadcast and stadium video boards so that fans can see the live results of a player challenge.

The replay system has received a mixed reception from leading players with world number one Roger Federer sceptical about its introduction.

Last May, when the replays were being discussed for the 2005 U.S. Open, the Swiss said: "I have a very strong opinion about it. I'm absolutely against it."

However American world number three Andy Roddick is a fan.

"On top of just getting the calls right time after time, which will be nice, it'll add another aspect for TV viewers," Roddick said in a statement.

"This will add to tennis and take out a lot of human error."

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