Wimbledon will follow the American and Australian Opens in employing replay technology.
Video review systems will make its debut at Wimbledon this year.
Competitors are granted the ability to question certain calls made by the chair umpire, mirroring the protocol already in operation at both the American Grand Slam and the Australian Open.
The new system will be accessible on the main stadium and Court One for the duration of the Championships and on the other four featured courts when they are hosting singles matches.
This move arrives only a year after the AELTC rolled out ELC, which terminated the centuries-old tradition of line officials.
Scope of Challenges
Competitors will not be permitted to dispute the call of the electronic line calling, but are allowed to ask for the official to re-examine other situations, including:
- If a ball has double-bounced.
- Whether a ball made contact with an rival's racket or body during play.
- Possible hindrance end of a rally.
Importantly, there is no cap on the amount of challenges a competitor can request.
Practical Application
An illustrative incident took place in a recent tournament recently, where a top player used the review system against his opponent.
The British player conceded it was a tough situation for the umpire, but thought his rival had "used the regulations effectively."
The umpire watched a replay and determined Draper was guilty of hindrance, awarding the point to Medvedev.
Wider Implementation
Video reviews are not new for major tournaments. The system was adopted at the American major for two years and the Australian Open this year.
Additionally, it is becoming more common on the WTA circuit, and by the coming year the ATP circuit plans to have the system in place at all of its events.
Further Updates
Another change at Wimbledon this year involves the addition of visual indicators on scoreboards to complement the audio calls from the electronic line calling system.
This solves situations where fans have sometimes been unsure if a ball was out or in.
Finally, with exactly a century of days remaining until the beginning of the Championships, the AELTC have further revealed an expansion in daily attendance at the qualifying competition in the qualifying venue.
