The New Replay Feature in the US Open Tennis 2018 Courts
For both courts attendances and the viewers around the world, it is essential to catch up all the moments happening in the US Open Tennis. If you are like other tennis fans, you will want to follow every single moment of your favorite game happening on the court.
It is an excellent news for all the diehard fans of the tennis sport. The officials of the US Open Tennis Championships have been making few changes for better purposes. One of the developments for this year’s tournament is the instant replay additions to all the courts for all matches. With this change, it will make the US Open Tennis Championships as the first of tennis’ four Grand Slams. That will also make the upcoming championship as the second tournament with multiple courts to offer it for every match.
The upcoming US Open will conduct the replay system in a remote broadcast control center. This centralization is similar to the system that we usually see in many team-sport leagues. The remote broadcast control center will have more dynamic spectacles for the viewers. The other 12 courts will feed into a remote trailer complex housing. For this new replay feature, the officials dispatch around five dozen of technicians and replay operators. The workspace is a non-public area. They will locate it from the two main stadiums in Flushing, N.Y.
Dave Brewer, the tournament director, confirmed the new advancement of the replay and stated that it was one more advancement or one more innovation. Folks reacted to this news positively. Not only for the viewers, but the new replay system also benefits the players.
The new replay system was proposed years ago. Why this year? Why now? You might ask the question. It has a thing to do with the renovation of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. The restoration of the place took roughly five years and costed the officials around $600 million. The repair focuses on the new roof on the Arthur Ashe Stadium and new Louis Armstrong Stadium that opens this year. With the complete renovation, the technicians will wire all the side courts for the replay.
The officials have been doing some video simulations to test the new replay features. The on-site video simulation shows where the ball lands. This will air on the digital scoreboards that are located in each court of the event.
It is indeed an advancement for all the parties involved in the US Open Tennis 2018. The on-site video simulation will be a pivotal role in succeeding the new replay features. The US Tennis Association representative claimed that the new replay features would be prevalent for the future projects as well.
The USTA owns and operates the Open. They also plan to conduct the replay for all professional singles, doubles, as well as mixed doubles matches. So, all the players in different categories can take the benefits of the replay features.
Because of the cost and logistic factors, the development can happen, and ones need to have much time to actualize it.
Some players get the benefits of the challenges, and other players do not understand them. In the US Open, Courts 4, 5 and six are laid out in sequence.
It is true that the US Open was the first tournament that provided a replay for players. It all began in 2006. And then, many tournaments follow the trend. However, that does not limit to what kind of tournament that needs the replay. For instance, seven of Wimbledon’s 18 courts also use replay. Last year, the US Open had it on seven of its 16 courts.
You might be wondering about the cost of having the replay. At one court for three weeks, it costs around $80,000. Perhaps the only problem for some tournaments is the space that they don’t have for accommodating the equipment and personnel. However, this matter will be quickly solved by operating the replay remotely. With the current technology, it is far from impossible.
Sony’s Hawk-Eye system is the dominant provider of the upcoming US Open replay. For this year’s US Open, the company will dispatch around 50 employees on site to handle the replay.
