Wimbledon Umpire Absent After Electronic Line-Calling Failure

During a fourth-round Wimbledon match between Sonay Kartal and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, the Electronic Line Calling (ELC) system malfunctioned, failing to call a clear out from Kartal. Chair umpire Nico Helwerth did not overrule the technology failure and ordered the point to be replayed, which sparked Pavlyuchenkova's anger and accusations of pro-British bias and a 'stolen' game. Wimbledon officials confirmed the error was due to the system being accidentally turned off by human error and apologized to the players, emphasizing that the ELC technology is generally reliable. Helwerth was notably absent from the match schedule the following day, a day off that the All England Club insists was pre-planned and not a disciplinary measure. The Club has conducted a thorough investigation and has taken steps to prevent such failures in the future, reaffirming the importance of technology in modernizing the tournament. Despite the controversy, Helwerth is expected to resume umpiring later in the week.