I think this is really cool. The tv coverage has had both actual cameras that look down each line of the court and show the ball in slow-motion, and this cool 3d mapping of the ball so they can show it in flight and landing in or out from any angle. John "You can't be SERIOUS!!!!" McEnroe, who is a commentator nowadays, has been quite vocal in his lobbying for tennis to adopt some kind of replay system. Now they have, and here's an article:

KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. (AP) -- Jamea Jackson watched her groundstroke land close to the sideline, and when it was called out, she sensed a chance to make a little history.

So she requested a video replay review -- the first on the professional tennis tours -- even though she thought the ruling was correct.

"I just wanted to be first," Jackson said with a laugh. "That's what it really was all about."

Instant replay made its tour debut Wednesday at the Nasdaq-100 Open, and initial reviews were favorable. It was used only on the stadium court, which gave Jackson and opponent Ashley Harkleroad the first shot at video replays of their shots.

In a three-hour match won by Jackson, she and Harkleroad challenged two calls each, and only one ruling was reversed. But both players saw a positive impact from the biggest rule change in tennis since the introduction of the tiebreaker 36 years ago.

"It takes a lot of pressure off," Jackson said. "You don't get so angry. If you think a call is incorrect, you don't spend extra games thinking about it."

"It's a little less stress," Harkleroad said. "If you think you're sure (about a call), you're in control of that, not somebody else."
...
Seeded players had a first-round bye, leaving the spotlight to the new electronic replay system. Tennis officials were pleased that the technology worked smoothly at the outset, and that player feedback was positive.

"So far there's 100 percent support, which is not always the case with a rule change for a game that has been around for 100 years," said Arlen Kantarian, the U.S. Tennis Association's chief executive for professional tennis. "To be honest, we expected a little more controversy at first."

Instant replay will makes its Grand Slam debut at the U.S. Open, and it's likely to be used at other hardcourt tournaments in the United States this summer, Kantarian said.

Players are permitted at least two challenges per set, but Jackson and Harkleroad played 78 points before the first replay occurred an hour into their match. On the first point of the second set, Jackson swatted a forehand barely wide, then looked toward the stands at her coach, Rodrigo Nascimento, as she decided whether to request a replay.

"Before the match I was really excited about it," Jackson said. "He was like, `Stay focused. If you really think one was good or out, then look at me and I'll tell you what I thought, and then you can challenge.'

"So I looked at him and he was like, `Whatever. Go for it.' And so I did."

Coaching during a match is against the rules, but chair umpire Alison Lang didn't issue a warning to Jackson. Instead, Lang announced to the crowd, "Ms. Jackson has challenged the call."

The scoreboard promptly displayed a computer video replay showing the ball landing an inch or two wide of the sideline. "OUT," the screen read, meaning the call stood.

"It's really quick," Jackson said. "I remember people were complaining about maybe it throwing off the timing and rhythm of the match, but it didn't do anything like that at all."

The system later reversed a call that went against Harkleroad. A shot she hit was ruled long, but the replay showed the ball skidded off the baseline.

As expected, each review in the opening match took less than 10 seconds. WTA Tour executive Angie Cunningham said the ball landed within 3 centimeters of the line on each of the challenged rulings.

Harkleroad said the replay system had an impact on the linesmen beyond the one reversed call.

"They're probably going to be on their best behavior with that thing going on," she said. "Sometimes maybe they get a little lazy. They do call bad line calls. But they know that this thing's going on, and they don't want to mess up."

http://sports.yahoo.com/ten/news?slu...v=ap&type=lgns

 

McEnroe is rolling over in his...bed?

 

that's pretty awesome. i think it's been needed for a while

 

The speed of the ball is way to hard for anyone to judge accurately, instantly. Although some call suck, most are right.

Hopefully replay doesn't slow down the speed of the game.

 

are they using that shot simulator thing to see where the ball landed? cause thats acurate as hell. i think its good that they are doing it, even though there arent that many wrong calls

 

I think they're just using the cameras pointing down the lines, because that 3D shot simulator thing (I believe it's called ShotSpot) is only set up at the major venues. I haven't watched yet so I dunno.

 

Tennis is dumb.

 

kind of like golf :rick: waits for brett

 

It's about time; this should have been done sooner.

 

I keel joo.