Paris, May 26 (Reporter) In a move that harks back to old guard of tennis, the French Open has become the last Grand Slam tournament to resist the tide of technology, retaining human line judges and refusing to implement automated line-calling systems on its courts this year. French Tennis Federation (FFT) President Gilles Moretton on Monday defended the tournament’s decision to persist with traditional officiating, citing a recent controversy at the Madrid Open involving world No 3 Alexander Zverev. The German received a warning after asking the chair umpire to inspect a disputed mark on the clay, an appeal that was denied, prompting Zverev to take a photo with his phone in protest of a call made by the automated system. "This is important for us," said Moretton during a press briefing ahead of the main draw at Roland Garros. "We know that it's 10 percent errors possible, 10 percent. That's what we know. Regarding clay, we think that it's very important… we saw it with Zverev in Madrid. He took the picture. We think it can happen, and it did happen already." While the ATP has implemented electronic line calling across most of its events, including those played on clay, Roland Garros remains a bastion of manual officiating. Even Wimbledon, known for its own emphasis on tradition, has confirmed a shift to full electronic line calling this year. Moretton further elaborated that preserving the human element of the game was crucial, especially for the development of tennis at the grassroots level. "It's more human. First of all, we need those people working all year long in our tournaments, promoting tennis in small clubs, being there for club matches," he said. "If we stop having those linesmen, referees, we feel it's not too good for tennis in France… For Roland Garros, we want to keep our linesmen as long as the players agree with that." The president, however, hinted at a possible future shift if players’ sentiment turns. "Sometimes the players say we don't want no more. Maybe we will have to change." The decision comes amid rising discontent among players over the reliability of electronic systems. Zverev, who was at the centre of the Madrid incident, has indicated his intent to take up the matter with ATP authorities. “I honestly think that there was a malfunction in the system in that moment… I said, 'Please, come down to have a look at this, I'm not crazy,” he told reporters following the match. While the debate over officiating technology continues, Roland Garros will, for now, maintain its distinctive clay-court culture—complete with ball marks, hand gestures, and the watchful eyes of its human line judges...////...