Wimbledon will follow the American and Australian Opens in employing replay systems.
Video review technology will make its debut at The Championships this year.
Athletes will gain the option to question specific calls made by the official, following the system currently in place at both the US Open and the Australian Open.
This innovation is slated for use on Centre Court and Court One for the duration of the tournament and on the other four show courts when they are staging singles contests.
This move follows just a year after the AELTC implemented electronic line calling, which brought an end to the 147-year tradition of line judges.
What Can Be Reviewed?
Competitors will not be permitted to challenge the call of the ELC system, but are allowed to request the umpire to review specific situations, including:
- Whether a tennis ball has bounced twice.
- Whether a shot touched an rival's racket or person during play.
- Possible hindrance at the conclusion of a rally.
Importantly, there will be no limit on the number of reviews a competitor can request.
Practical Application
An illustrative case occurred in a recent tournament last week, where a top player used the video challenge against his opponent.
Draper conceded it was a tough call for the umpire, but thought his rival had "used the regulations quite well."
Official Aurelie Tourte viewed a video and determined the player was guilty of hindrance, awarding the rally to Medvedev.
Wider Implementation
Video reviews are not exclusive to major tournaments. It was adopted at the US Open for two years and the Aussie Open this year.
Furthermore, it is increasingly prevalent on the women’s WTA Tour, and by next season the men's ATP Tour plans to have the system in place at every one of its events.
Additional Innovations
Another innovation at The Championships this year will be the addition of graphical cues on scoreboards to complement the verbal announcements from the electronic line calling system.
This addresses instances where spectators have sometimes been uncertain whether a ball was out or in.
Finally, with exactly a century of days to go until the start of the tournament, organizers have further announced an increase in daily attendance at the qualifiers in the qualifying venue.
