Underneath the Ivy
When tennis fans think of Wimbledon, they often think of tradition. However, part of what makes Wimbledon so unique in the 21st century is its unusual combination of both tradition and modern technology. The matches are still played on grass and the defending champions still open play on Centre Court. However, over the years, Wimbledon has actually often been one of the
forerunners amongst the Grand Slams with respect to modern technology. Over a decade ago, there was live scoring and live Radio Wimbledon on the Wimbledon website. For years, and before it was common at other tennis events, tickets and passes were scanned with handheld devices as fans and officials entered the grounds. Cyclops was introduced years ago on Centre Court to aid the service linespeople in determining if those 100+ MPH serves were in or out. In 2007, the Hawk-Eye electronic line-calling system is being used for the first time at The Championships. Henman Hill aka now also called Murray Mountain at times, was another Wimbledon innovation when it was the first Grand Slam to feature a huge jumbo TV screen so fans with groundspasses could watch the live action from Centre Court. This year, there is no roof over any of the seats in Centre Court because the construction is underway to install a retractable roof which will cover Centre Court in 2009. There are many other examples of the impact and inclusion of modern technology at The Championships, Wimbledon. Each example showcases Wimbledon’s ability to evolve, albeit quietly at times, and sometimes even spur others on in the process.
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