France, March 22 -- The world's oldest clay court tennis tournament is preparing for a new era with the replacement of line judges by hi-tech cameras and fibre optics.
For 117 years, line judges - under the aegis of the chair umpire - have called the shots at the various tennis competitions held at courts around Monaco's capital that morphed into the Monte Carlo Masters.
But when the 118th edition begins on 5 April, the chair umpire will be working without human companions. Instead, they will ensure accuracy using Electronic Line Calling (ELC) Live - a system that employscameras and fibre optics.
The change comes as theAssociation of Tennis Professionals (ATP), the global governing body for men's international circuit, aims for consisten...