Bring in the machines full time is the verdict of
Andy Roddick after the
Alexander Zverev incident during the
French Open which saw the final turn in favour of Carlos Alcaraz.
Down a break early in the fifth set, Zverev had break points when Alcaraz's first serve was called out and he then faulted allowing Zverev seemingly to break. Or so he thought with umpire Renaud Lichenstein intervening and overturning the call. This gave Alcaraz the chance to serve again and he ended up winning the game and going 3-1 up.
He went on to secure a 6-3, 2-6, 5-7, 6-1, 6-2 win in the end to claim the title in a moment that could've seen the tie decided differently. Zverev admitted as much after he was defeated and Roddick said that the players are usually right and that they can't replace those who actually play with umpires.
"There's a difference whether you're down 3-1 in the fifth set or you're back to two-all. That's a deciding difference," Zverev said.
"It's frustrating in the end, but it is what it is. Umpires make mistakes. They're also human and that's okay. But of course in a situation like that, you wish there wouldn't be mistakes."
Hawkeye at the time called it in favour of Zverev but only after the fact which is another showcase of why the system is perhaps needed in tennis and is set to return.
"Players normally right. Shotspot showed Zverev saw mark correct way... Cant replace real life playing reps when reading marks correctly. Good riddance to these umpires trying. Bring in the machines full time," Roddick wrote on X.
He previously tweeted similar also for Casper Ruud who was embroiled in a similar situation. "An umpire explaining to a player how a ball travels and how to read a mark is always laughable to me. Most tour umpires have barely played. Can’t replace a lifetime of up close reps," wrote Roddick.
