"I cannot do anything about it" - Jelena Ostapenko expresses her displeasure over electronic line calling system used at Australian Open 2023
Jelena Ostapenko made it clear once again on Tuesday that she was not fully happy with the electronic line calling system being used at the 2023 Australian Open.
Ostapenko, who won the French Open in 2017, has been criticized throughout the tournament Down Under for her unusual reactions towards the line calls being made electronically during her matches. That behavior continued on Tuesday in the Latvian's quarterfinal fixture against Elena Rybakina.
In her post-match press conference after the 2-6, 4-6 loss, Ostapenko expressed her belief that there might be something wrong with the system currently in place. According to her, many of the calls being made are questionable.
"I'm not really happy with the system they are using. But couple times it was really, like, not even by couple of centimeters. It was much more than that. But I cannot do anything about it, because it is the way as it is," she said.
The 25-year-old went on to state that the system was different from the traditional "line judge" system. She also claimed that some of the calls being made electronically were late, affecting the natural game of players.
"But I feel like some lines, sometimes the system is not, how you say, not ignoring, but sometimes the calls are -- first of all, they are really late sometimes. You already hit the ball, and then you hear "Out," which is normally not the way it is with the line umpires.
"And second of all, some balls were quite, how you say, not a little out. They were a bit out and they were not called," she added.
"I wish it would be the Hawk-Eye system and the line umpires" - Jelena Ostapenko
Jelena Ostapenko further expressed that she prefers the combination of the hawk-eye system and line judges over the electronic line calling system being used at the Australian Open. In her opinion, the previous system was more accurate than electronic line calls.
"Honestly,in myy personal opinion, I wish it would be the Hawk-Eye system and the line umpires, because I feel like that way it's more -- precise? Precised? More precised and much less mistakes, in my opinion, my personal opinion," she stated.
Jelena Ostapenko also expressed hope that line judges would be brought back by the sport, as the courts look empty to her without them.
"To have just the Hawk-Eye system, because this is the live system, but to have a Hawk-Eye but still have the line umpires. I think it's also, I don't know, that way it looks a little better for me on the court how it is. Not just the calling-wise but in general how the court looks. Because with no line umpires, for me it looks a little empty," said Ostapenko.