Had the ball been called out, Pavlyuchenkova would have won the point and taken the game.
Instead, it was replayed, Kartal won the point and went on to break for a 5-4 lead.
Pavlyuchenkova had seen the ball was out – and a TV replay showed that was the case by some distance.
Addressing the crowd, Helwerth said: “We’re just going to check if the system was up and running, because there was no audio call.”
After a telephone call, he announced the electronic system “was unfortunately unable to track the last point” and ordered the point to be replayed.
The rulebook states that if the electronic line calling system fails to make a call, “the call shall be made by the chair umpire”.
It adds: “If the chair umpire is unable to determine if the ball was in or out, then the point shall be replayed. This protocol applies only to point-ending shots or in the case when a player stops play.”
The fact Pavlyuchenkova went on to win the match meant the malfunction was not as costly as it could have been, although she still questioned why the umpire did not call it out.
“That’s why he’s there,” she said. “He also saw it out, he told me after the match.
“I thought he would do that, but he didn’t. Instead they just said replay.
“I don’t know if it’s something to do [with Kartal being] local.
“I think it’s also difficult for him. He probably was scared to take such a big decision.”
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