Australian Open 2021 sees innovations powered by Infosys for fans' virtual experience

If you are among the multitude of tennis fans whose hopes of experiencing the Australian Open live in all its glory in Melbourne have been dashed by the pandemic, there may still be some good news for you. Infosys, the official digital innovation partner of the tournament has got international fans covered with their new and innovative digital efforts at the first slam of the year. Not just that, but even fans ons the ground have the opportunity to indulge in exquisite new virtual experiences to enhance their visit to Melbourne Park.

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Australian Open 2021: Infosys to help fans get the live match experience at home

Just a few of the brand new features that fans and players can take advantage of, include - 3D Court Vision - a feature that allows individuals to watch ongoing matches with a detailed data overlay for each shot. This is provided by making use of the ‘Hawk-Eye’ data to animate each shot almost as it happens live, allowing fans to analyse the game from any vantage point in the stadium. The details provided include minute things like spin and serve placement, as well as more common stats, like forced/unforced errors, aces etc. 

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There is also a new Australian Open Virtual Slam experience, which provides fans as close of an Australian Open live experience as they could possibly get from home. Besides this, there is also the innovative new 'AI Shot of the Day' which makes use of machine learning to rapidly identify match highlights. Some features of the AI include using common data points like fastest serve and longest rally, but there have been fascinating new additions to it, meaning that it can now gauge features like player emotion and crowd reaction to better understand the context of the shot in the match. 

Infosys has also created a special app designed for use by players and coaches. The app - in some sense - helps put all players on an equal footing in terms of the detailed statistical research they have available on their opponents

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Australian Open Infosys deal

While the Australian Open and Infosys have had a long and successful partnership since 2018, this association had taken on a special significance this year. With audience access to the tournament serious curtailed due to the pandemic, Inosys's experience with creating virtual and digital experiences for fans at home will bring a huge boost to the Slam. According to a press release by the company, “The innovations are envisioned to alter the sporting normal well beyond the current Grand Slam and represent a shift towards placing digital at the core of the tournament to elevate immersion, passion, brilliance and experience for those on court and across the globe”.

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Image Credits: ATP Tour Twitter