Wimbledon was hit by another line-call controversy on Centre Court Monday after Russian star Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova accused officials of showing bias in favour of her British opponent, Sonay Kartal, during a tense fourth-round clash. The incident occurred during a critical point in the match when Kartal hit a shot that appeared well beyond the baseline, but no “out” call came from the HawkEye Live electronic line-calling system. Chair umpire Nico Helworth, who clearly saw the ball as out, attempted to intervene, prompting a chaotic halt in play. With players confused and spectators stunned, a four-minute delay followed as Helworth spoke with officials via court-side phone. Eventually, he announced that the electronic system had failed to track the ball, and ruled that the point would be replayed. “The electronic line-calling system unfortunately was unable to track the last point, so we will replay the point,” Helworth said to the crowd. Kartal eventually broke Pavlyuchenkova’s serve, drawing a furious reaction from the Russian, who suggested she had been robbed of the game due to bias. “I don’t know if it’s in or it’s out. How do I know? You cannot prove it. Because she is local, they can say whatever. You took the game away from me,” Pavlyuchenkova protested. The controversy comes just days after fellow Brit Emma Raducanu criticized the “dodgy” HawkEye system, raising further questions over the reliability of automated line-calling technology at the Grand Slam. This latest incident has reignited calls for human oversight or backup in critical moments, particularly in close contests where reputations — and careers — are on the line. Wimbledon officials have yet to release a formal statement addressing the malfunction or Pavlyuchenkova’s claims.
Wimbledon line-call controversy erupts again as Pavlyuchenkova slams ‘pro-Brit’ bias
