ISLAMABAD: For the first time in the history of Pakistan sports, the Hawkeye technology is coming to the country as the International Tennis Federation (ITF) has decided to make it available during the World Group I Davis Cup tie against Japan to be played at the Pakistan Sports Complex grass courts on March 5-6.
The tie will be played without line judges as Hawkeye technology will monitor the line and would keep a check on the ball landing position.
The playing teams will be given the option to review the call and in case of any discrepancy, the technology will be there for support.
Pakistan Tennis Federation (PTF) President Salim Saifullah Khan told ‘The News’ that ITF has decided to use the latest and most modern video technology instead of taking line judges’ services during the tie proceedings.
“Yes, the ITF has decided to introduce Hawkeye, the first of its kind in tennis in Pakistan for the important Davis Cup tie between Pakistan and Japan set to be held at the Pakistan Sports Complex grass courts on March 5-6. This is a very important development. The ITF wants to make the tie controversy-free and that possibly is the reason for this fresh technology that is seen mostly in the Grand Slam events,” he said
Hawkeye usually uses 16-18 computer-linked television cameras situated around the court. The computer reads in the video in real-time and tracks the path of the tennis ball on each camera. These over a dozen separate views are then combined together to produce an accurate 3D representation of the path of the ball.
The Hawkeye system was invented by a young British computer expert Paul Hawkins, and was launched in 2001. It was first used in television coverage of sporting events such as Test cricket and has now reached the stage of being used by officials in tennis to assist in adjudicating close line calls.
The Nasdaq-100 Open in Miami was the first tour event to officially use the technology. The 2006 US Open was the first Grand Slam event to feature the system, followed by 2007 Australian Open. At the Australian Open, only center court matches utilize the technology.
The Hawkeye is now coming to Pakistan as ITF is expected to depute a professional six-member team to handle the technology. The team is expected to arrive days ahead of the start of the tie to finalise all the arrangements.
“The PTF will share the expenses incurred on introducing Hawkeye. Since it is a costly affair, the PTF will also share the financial burden,” the PTF president said.
Salim Saifullah said only chair umpire will be there while Hawk-eye will take care of the rest. “The proceedings will have a full-fledged technology coverage. Special arrangements will be made according to the requirements of visiting the ITF team for the purpose.”
With less than 40 days remaining, the ITF wants to ensure that important tie should be held in the most professional manner. All the necessary arrangements are already in place for the smooth hosting of the tie.