Roger Federer blamed Wimbledon’s Hawkeye for ‘KILLING’ him as Rafael Nadal made things difficult for the Swiss maestro
A usually composed Federer was infuriated so much by the Hawkeye that he complained to the chair umpire after its result handed Nadal the win in the fourth set.
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Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer (Images via Sporting News, Wimbledon)
In 2007, the Wimbledon Championships joined the Australian Open and US Open by using the Hawkeye ball tracking system on Centre Court and Court One. But Roger Federer was irked by the results it showed during his tense final against arch-rival Rafael Nadal on Centre Court.
Then No. 1 Federer and No. 2 Nadal locked horns in the final, with both clinching two sets each. Federer won the first set 7-6 (9-7) but lost the second set 4-6. The Swiss maestro managed the third set, but it was the fourth set that perplexed Federer, as he lost it 2-6. But in the decider, he clinched the win rather easily with a score of 6-2.
A usually composed Federer was infuriated so much by the Hawkeye that he complained to the chair umpire after its result handed Nadal the win in the fourth set. The Spaniard’s forehand seemed to have landed outside the baseline, but he challenged it.
The big screen while showing the Hawkeye result revealed that the ball landed on the line, much to the frustration of the Swiss great. It was the second time he was broken in that set, and he expressed how shocked he was when it landed on the line.
Roger Federer questioned Hawkeye’s accuracy
Even before the 2007 Wimbledon, Roger Federer was critical of the Hawkeye system. After the match, he said the umpire also agreed that the ball was beyond the baseline and couldn’t believe it when Hawkeye showed it was not. “How in the world was that ball in? It’s killing me today,” he screamed, demanding that Hawkeye be switched off during the match.
“If I’m going to go against it, people will always say he doesn’t agree whatsoever. I don’t know how they developed this machine if they took all possibilities into account: the way the ball travels, the way it bounces, 3D, the whole thing,” Federer had said after the match.
Back in 2015, Federer also expressed his disbelief over the technology. He questioned its accuracy and even asked the reason why the system is used only during the daytime when it’s not available during the nighttime. The 20-time Grand Slam champion opined that the game should be stopped if the Hawkeye is not available.
Meanwhile, Federer retired from tennis in 2022 after playing his last professional match in the Laver Cup alongside Rafael Nadal in a doubles event. Nadal has been recuperating from a hip injury he sustained during the 2023 Australian Open.
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Gouri Das
(4697 Articles Published)