Wimbledon will follow the American and Australian Opens in utilizing replay technology.
Video review systems will make its debut at Wimbledon this year.
Players will gain the option to challenge specific decisions from the chair umpire, mirroring the practice already in place at both the American Grand Slam and the Australian Open.
The new system is slated for use on the main stadium and Court One for the duration of the tournament and on the remaining show courts when they are staging singles contests.
This move comes just a year after the All England Club rolled out ELC, which brought an end to the centuries-old tradition of line judges.
What Can Be Reviewed?
Competitors will not be permitted to challenge the accuracy of the electronic line calling, but are allowed to ask for the umpire to re-examine other decisions, including:
- If a ball has double-bounced.
- Whether a shot made contact with an rival's racket or body during play.
- Possible interference at the conclusion of a rally.
Importantly, there is an unlimited number on the number of challenges a competitor can ask for.
Practical Application
An illustrative incident took place in Indian Wells last week, where a top player initiated the video challenge against his opponent.
Draper conceded it was a tough situation for the official, but believed his opponent had "used the regulations quite well."
Official Aurelie Tourte watched a video and ruled Draper was responsible for interference, granting the point to Medvedev.
Broader Adoption
This technology are not exclusive to Grand Slams. The system was adopted at the American major for two years and the Aussie Open this year.
Furthermore, it is increasingly prevalent on the women’s WTA Tour, and by the coming year the ATP circuit will have the system in place at all of its events.
Other Changes
A further innovation at Wimbledon this year involves the addition of graphical cues on scoreboards to support the audio calls from the electronic line calling system.
This solves instances where the crowd have sometimes been unsure if a shot was out or in.
Finally, with precisely 100 days to go until the beginning of the Championships, the AELTC have also revealed an expansion in daily attendance at the qualifiers in the qualifying venue.
