Wimbledon will follow the American and Australian Opens in utilizing video review technology.
Replay systems are set to arrive at Wimbledon in the upcoming tournament.
Players will gain the ability to contest specific decisions made by the official, following the system currently in place at both the American Grand Slam and the Aussie major.
This innovation will be accessible on Centre Court and the number one court throughout the Championships and on the other four show courts when they are staging singles contests.
This move follows just a season following the AELTC introduced ELC, which brought an end to the 147-year role of line judges.
Scope of Challenges
Competitors will not be permitted to dispute the call of the ELC system, but they can ask for the umpire to re-examine specific decisions, such as:
- If a tennis ball has bounced twice.
- Whether a shot touched an opponent's racquet or body during play.
- Potential interference at the conclusion of a point.
Importantly, there is no limit on the amount of challenges a player can request.
A Recent Example
An illustrative incident took place in a recent tournament recently, where a top player used the review system against his opponent.
Draper admitted it was a difficult call for the official, but believed his rival had "played the rules quite well."
The umpire viewed a video and ruled Draper was responsible for hindrance, awarding the point to Medvedev.
Growing Trend
This technology aren't new for major tournaments. It has been in use at the American major for two years and the Australian Open this year.
Furthermore, it is increasingly prevalent on the WTA circuit, and by next season the ATP circuit plans to have the system implemented at every one of its events.
Other Changes
A further innovation at The Championships this year involves the introduction of graphical cues on displays to complement the audio calls from the electronic line calling system.
This solves instances where spectators have occasionally been uncertain if a ball was in or out.
Finally, with precisely 100 days remaining until the beginning of the Championships, the AELTC have further announced an expansion in daily capacity at the qualifiers in the qualifying venue.
