Wimbledon will follow the US and Aussie Opens in implementing video review systems.
Replay technology will make its debut at Wimbledon this year.
Athletes will gain the ability to challenge particular calls made by the chair umpire, echoing the protocol currently in place at each of the US Open and the Australian Open.
This innovation will be accessible on the main stadium and Court One for the duration of the Championships and on the other four show courts when they are hosting singles contests.
This development comes just a year after the All England Club introduced electronic line calling, which terminated the 147-year tradition of line judges.
Reviewable Decisions
Competitors cannot to challenge the accuracy of the ELC system, but they can ask for the official to review specific situations, such as:
- Whether a tennis ball has bounced twice.
- Whether a ball made contact with an opponent's racquet or person on the way past.
- Potential interference at the conclusion of a rally.
Notably, there will be no limit on the number of reviews a competitor can initiate.
A Recent Example
An illustrative incident occurred in a recent tournament last week, where a top player initiated the review system against Jack Draper.
The British player admitted it was a tough situation for the official, but thought his opponent had "played the rules quite well."
The umpire watched a video and ruled Draper was guilty of hindrance, granting the point to Medvedev.
Wider Implementation
Video reviews aren't new for major tournaments. It has been in use at the US Open for two years and the Australian Open this year.
Furthermore, it is becoming more common on the women’s WTA Tour, and by next season the men's ATP Tour will have video reviews implemented at every one of its events.
Additional Innovations
Another innovation at The Championships this year will be the addition of graphical cues on displays to support the audio calls from the ELC system.
This addresses instances where fans have sometimes been uncertain whether a ball was in or out.
In other news, with precisely 100 days to go until the start of the tournament, the AELTC have also revealed an expansion in daily attendance at the qualifiers in the qualifying venue.
