This summer, world number one Novak Djokovic will attempt to defend his Wimbledon title as he bids to win all four Grand Slam crowns in the same calendar year. In January, the Serbian defeated Andy Murray in straight sets to win the Australian Open and get 2016 off to the perfect start.
Next up for Novak is the French Open. Djokovic has never won the clay-based event and his previous misfortunes may play on his mind throughout the event. After all, this is the only Grand Slam that he is yet to win and the Serbian knows that a victory in this event will see him move one step closer to Roger Federer’s all-time record of 18 Grand Slam titles.
At the end of the day, Djokovic is the best player on the planet but even the top talents need help from officials at times and nowadays, the best official in tennis is no longer the umpire. It’s Hawkeye, the technological system that determines whether shots were in or out on the court. With so much at stake, both for the players and punters at online betting sites such as Betway, it’s crucial for the system to get decisions correct and it’s surely only a matter of time before the technology replaces line judges.
Ultimately, this technology can ensure that championships are not won and lost on individual errors. Hawkeye is incredibly accurate and gives players that added comfort of knowing they can refer to the technology if they believe the line call was incorrect. In each set, players are given three opportunities to challenge. Win and you keep all three challenges. Lose and you are down to two.
Hawkeye has played a key role in deciding Grand Slam competitions since 2002 and the technology has come on leaps and bounds since then. Originally, it was purely for in and out calls but nowadays, Hawkeye’s SMART Replay technology can be called upon to check for foot faults and close calls on the unforgiving clay court surface.
Given time, Hawkeye’s already accurate software will be exact and to the point. Tennis is one of the most technologically developed sports and both players and punters know this. In fact, online betting sites are now allowing punters to bet on various outcomes that directly correlate to this technology, such as speed of serve and amount of incorrect challenges.
Meanwhile, Betway are also trying to follow tennis’ example and now offer regular updates on live matches. These technological advancements allow punters to keep up with the game via their mobile or tablet device, without the need to watch the match. Furthermore, they are one of the few betting sites that accept Paypal – yet another innovative advantage served up by their development team.
This year, Hawkeye will once again be in use at Wimbledon as well as 79 other major tournaments around the world. The technology is almost an integral part of the sport nowadays and Novak Djokovic will be hoping it serves him well throughout the summer. If he performs at his best and gets his challenges correct, Hawkeye may aid the Serbian to yet another Grand Slam success.
