One in the eye for Cyclops?

Wimbledon may turn to new electronic line-calling devices which could spell the end of Cyclops, high-pitched guardian of the service area at the All England Championships since 1980.

Chief executive Chris Gorringe said Wimbledon had been following a study in the US on new automated line-calling.

The United States Tennis Association has been trialling two automated systems - Hawkeye and Auto-Ref - which patrol all the lines and offer computer-driven virtual replays.

USTA chief executive Arlen Kantarian is a fan of the systems and wants to introduce one in time for the start of the US Open in August.

Gorringe said that Wimbledon would also be in favour of an automated set-up which would end, once and for all, colourful on-court debates over flying chalk-dust.

"I think we should be very interested in the system if it is accurate, reliable and fast," he said.

Earlier this year, Australian Open chief Paul McNamee predicted that replay technology would be in use at next year's tournament, together with giant crowd television screens, to counter concern over disputed calls.

Cyclops was invented by a former aircraft engineer who was also responsible for badminton's plastic shuttlecock. The Cyclops now in use is more resistant than previous versions to being triggered by insects flying in front of its beams.