australian open

Technology and tennis

@JudyEv (325983)

Rockingham, Australia

January 22, 2024 9:50pm CST

The photo has nothing to do with the post. No-one would deny that technology has changed so much of what takes place now compared with even only a few years ago. I’ve been watching some of the Australian Open Tennis championships. Players can no longer dispute line calls as sensors indicate immediately if a ball lands on or out of the court. An image appears instantly too to verify the sensor’s ‘call’. This h as stopped so many disputes with players arguing over whether a ball has been in or out. Another device logs the speed of the ball with the better players regularly clocking over 200 kmh (62 mph) on their serves. Imagine a tennis ball hurtling towards you at that speed! I’d be turning tail and running. As the match goes ahead, the viewer is fed all sorts of information about the player and the game – how many unforced errors each player has had, what percentage of first serves are effective, etc, etc. A new one I saw yesterday measured the spin on the ball. I guess it’s RPM or revolutions per minute but I couldn’t find actual statistics to really confirm this.

19 people like this

17 responses

@Tampa_girl7 (49058)

• United States

23 Jan

Modern technology is amazing.

3 people like this

@JudyEv (325983)

• Rockingham, Australia

31 Jan

They come up with some of the statistics so quickly - how many forehands in the set then diagrams to show where the balls are hitting the court. Nothing seems to be beyond them.

1 person likes this

@Deepizzaguy (94676)

• Lake Charles, Louisiana

23 Jan

I have noticed that technology has made the sports contests even more entertaining than ever before. I agree with that if a tennis ball was coming at me at 200 mph, I also would do anything to avoid being hit by a tennis ball.

2 people like this

@JudyEv (325983)

• Rockingham, Australia

31 Jan

It would create a very big bruise if it happened to hit you.

2 people like this

@Deepizzaguy (94676)

• Lake Charles, Louisiana

31 Jan

@JudyEv That is true.

2 people like this

@Dena91 (15891)

• United States

23 Jan

Jelena Ostapenko still disputes every call from the machines. I think it is annoying that she does it constantly. She lost badly to Victoria Azarenka the other day and part of it was her attitude, on missing so many balls out.

2 people like this

@JudyEv (325983)

• Rockingham, Australia

31 Jan

I can't have watched her matches. I guess if they dispute the call then they have to show the video.

1 person likes this

@LindaOHio (156584)

• United States

23 Jan

Wow! No more line arguments. I really should be watching since I enjoy tennis. Great photo. Have a good day.

1 person likes this

@JudyEv (325983)

• Rockingham, Australia

31 Jan

There were some very heated disputes in the 'old days', weren't there? We enjoyed the matches although we often don't bother with sports.

1 person likes this

@JudyEv (325983)

• Rockingham, Australia

1 Feb

@LindaOHio Some of the returns are amazing. Several hit the ball between their legs and still managed to get it within the boundaries.

1 person likes this

@LindaOHio (156584)

• United States

31 Jan

@JudyEv I love the stamina and precision of the players. I could never place a ball like they do.

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Mildred Tabitha

@mildredtabitha (16047)

• Nairobi, Kenya

23 Jan

Technology has changed so much how games are played. They are used to tennis ball coming at them at mich speed. I would also run away if it were me.

2 people like this

@JudyEv (325983)

• Rockingham, Australia

31 Jan

At such speed, I can't imagine I'd even see the ball coming!!

1 person likes this

@Beestring (13341)

• Hong Kong

23 Jan

Technology is involved in almost all aspects of our life. Sport is no exception.

2 people like this

@JudyEv (325983)

• Rockingham, Australia

31 Jan

That's very true. In tennis, it has stopped a lot of disputed calls.

1 person likes this

changjiangzhibin89

@changjiangzhibin89 (16541)

• China

25 Jan

Technology does set the scene for dramatic changes in all our lives.

1 person likes this

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changjiangzhibin89

@changjiangzhibin89 (16541)

• China

31 Jan

@JudyEv If only they saw those changes !

1 person likes this

@JudyEv (325983)

• Rockingham, Australia

1 Feb

@changjiangzhibin89 My great-grandfather once rode a pushbike 100 miles to see a hay-baling machine in action. He didn't believe that a machine could tie a knot.

1 person likes this

@JudyEv (325983)

• Rockingham, Australia

31 Jan

Our parents would be astounded at some of the changes, wouldn't they?

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@rebelann (111223)

• El Paso, Texas

23 Jan

Wow, that is a beautiful double rainbow, did you take that shot?

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@rebelann (111223)

• El Paso, Texas

31 Jan

Yes, very lucky. I missed the last one I saw and rainbows don't happen here that often.

1 person likes this

@JudyEv (325983)

• Rockingham, Australia

31 Jan

Yes. Sometimes you get lucky to get such a shot.

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@RebeccasFarm (86774)

• United States

1 Feb

No arguments? Oh to heck with that..I used to love watching them.

1 person likes this

@JudyEv (325983)

• Rockingham, Australia

2 Feb

Someone in the crowd still heckles a player from time to time but they're removed from the stands pretty quickly.

1 person likes this

@LadyDuck (458583)

• Switzerland

23 Jan

I think that in sport competitions the modern technology helps (200 Kmh is 124 miles per hour). I see the Italian newspapers very excited, it seems that a young Italian tennis player is doing good there.

1 person likes this

@JudyEv (325983)

• Rockingham, Australia

31 Jan

Yes, Yannick Sinner won the men's singles match against the Russian Medvedev. He seems a really nice young man and certainly is one of the rising stars.

1 person likes this

@LadyDuck (458583)

• Switzerland

31 Jan

@JudyEv The Italian newspapers were so excited, it was all about Jannick Sinner. How much he feels Italian I do not know, he was born in in South Tyrol (Italy, but they always wanted to be part of Austria) and he lives in Monte Carlo.

1 person likes this

@JudyEv (325983)

• Rockingham, Australia

1 Feb

@LadyDuck I'm sure there are a number of sportspeople who feel little allegiance to their country of birth. Many live in other countries where all the action/matches/money is.

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@RasmaSandra (73550)

• Daytona Beach, Florida

24 Jan

Thanks for the interesting tennis info,

1 person likes this

@JudyEv (325983)

• Rockingham, Australia

31 Jan

You're welcome. Every sport has so much that most of us know little about.

1 person likes this

Valerie J. Routhieaux

@just4him (306689)

• Green Bay, Wisconsin

23 Jan

I agree. Technology has changed a lot in the last few years.

1 person likes this

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Valerie J. Routhieaux

@just4him (306689)

• Green Bay, Wisconsin

31 Jan

@JudyEv Yes, it is.

1 person likes this

@JudyEv (325983)

• Rockingham, Australia

31 Jan

It seems to be being introduced into more and more sports.

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@dgobucks226 (34388)

•

27 Jan

It's a technological world isn't it. Filled with stats and gadgets which replace human decisions. In football and baseball, they have instant replay. In tennis they have had video replay on questionable line calls for years now. With players given so many challenges. It was only a matter of time when those lines people would be replaced by machines. I imagine the other sports will eventually follow.

1 person likes this

@JudyEv (325983)

• Rockingham, Australia

31 Jan

Sensors have already replaced lines people in tennis. I wonder if they'll ever replace the ball boys and girls in some way.

1 person likes this

@dgobucks226 (34388)

•

1 Feb

I guess they could use Robbie the Robot.

1 person likes this

@wardfcsc (195)

• Indonesia

27 Jan

technology has been popular in sports today for various purpose. It happens the same in football/soccer too. What other stuff in tennis can be improved with technology do you think?

1 person likes this

@JudyEv (325983)

• Rockingham, Australia

31 Jan

I can't really think of anything that could be improved really. They are now trying to think of ways of shortening the matches. Some of them went for five hours and delayed the next match which was scheduled for the same court.

1 person likes this

@wardfcsc (195)

• Indonesia

31 Jan

@JudyEv Ah yes, tennis game can be very long. I think it's a good idea, to keep the game intense and avoid the players feeling burnout.

1 person likes this

@wolfgirl569 (95427)

• Marion, Ohio

23 Jan

Many sports are using technology

1 person likes this

@JudyEv (325983)

• Rockingham, Australia

31 Jan

It's being introduced into more and more sports I think.

1 person likes this

@Marilynda1225 (79833)

• United States

23 Jan

Technology really has come a long long way. Very interesting information about tennis and how technology has helped stop disputes. That's an amazing picture. Looks majestic

1 person likes this

@JudyEv (325983)

• Rockingham, Australia

31 Jan

I'm glad you like the photo. When you see something like that, you realise how insignificant humans are.

@Fleura (29151)

• United Kingdom

23 Jan

If you are the kind of sports fan that loves statistics I guess you are in luck! A ball at 162 mph would have me dodging out of the way too! What would John MacEnroe do nowadays?

1 person likes this

@JudyEv (325983)

• Rockingham, Australia

31 Jan

He and Jimmy Connors did a lot of the commentating. I don't know why we didn't have a few more Aussies commentating! I'd thought Australia had got over its addiction to all things American but maybe they are on the governing body or something. I never liked McEnroe much but in a longish interview with him he acknowledged that he was a bit of a 'wild one'. The line sensors have stopped a lot of that nonsense.

1 person likes this