The video review has been used at the 2023 US Open for the first time, but in reality, it actually wasn't.
When Britain's Andy Murray, former world No. 1 on the ATP Tour, served for victory on the Grandstand court at Flushing Meadows, he might not have anticipated being part of a technological debacle, the same way WTA's world no. 1, Iga Swiatek didn't expect the video review to be used.
His opponent, Corentin Moutet, challenged a possible double bounce not detected by the chair umpire, Louise Engzell, since that's a possibility at some of the courts at this year's US Open. With the eyes of the world watching, a prolonged delay ensued. Engzell, after attempting to access the video replay on her official tablet, eventually conveyed the unfortunate message: the review system wasn't functioning.
The situation grew increasingly absurd as the large screens in the stadium clearly showed the incident to thousands of spectators, but the official on-court device remained stubbornly blank.
Engzell’s attempt to clarify the situation by indicating her screen was supposed to be the "official feed" only underscored the irony of the moment. "VAR has stopped working," she declared, leaving players and fans bemused.
What should have been a seamless integration of technology, enhancing the game's fairness, turned into a spectacle of malfunction. The US Open authorities later confirmed the glitch, stating that the tablet designated for the on-court review had malfunctioned, inhibiting the delivery of the reviewable video.
They further elaborated on the protocol which mandates that any decision based on a video review must be made by the chair umpire via the video presented on their designated on-court tablet. In the absence of such a video, the original call stands.
While the malfunctioning tablet was promptly repaired following the match, the incident raised several questions. Tennis, a sport that has long incorporated technology such as Hawk-Eye to ascertain line calls, is no stranger to electronic aids.
The addition of the video-assist review was seen as a natural progression, aimed to assist chair umpires in making accurate determinations on incidents like double bounces, hindrance, and instances where a player might touch the ball or the net.
However, once such technology is implemented, players, officials, and fans would certainly expect it to work, and since that wasn't the case at Flushing Meadows, many were left surprised. Who wasn't left surprised was the experienced Brit as Murray went on to win the match in straight sets after the incident.
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