Wimbledon will follow the US and Aussie Opens in implementing video review technology.
Video review systems will make its debut at Wimbledon this year.
Athletes will gain the right to question specific calls made by the official, echoing the system currently in place at both the American Grand Slam and the Aussie major.
The new system will be accessible on the main stadium and the number one court throughout the Championships and on the other four featured courts when they are hosting singles contests.
This development arrives only a season following the All England Club introduced ELC, which effectively ended the centuries-old role of line officials.
Scope of Challenges
Competitors cannot to dispute the accuracy of the ELC system, but are allowed to ask for the umpire to re-examine specific situations, such as:
- If a tennis ball has double-bounced.
- Whether a ball touched an rival's racket or body during play.
- Potential hindrance end of a point.
Importantly, there is an unlimited number on the number of challenges a player can initiate.
Case in Point
A recent example took place in Indian Wells recently, where a top player used the review system against his opponent.
Draper admitted it was a difficult situation for the umpire, but believed his opponent had "used the regulations quite well."
Official Aurelie Tourte watched a replay and ruled Draper was guilty of hindrance, awarding the rally to Medvedev.
Growing Trend
Video reviews are not exclusive to major tournaments. It was adopted at the US Open for two years and the Aussie Open this year.
Additionally, it is increasingly prevalent on the WTA circuit, and by next season the ATP circuit will have the system in place at all of its events.
Further Updates
Another innovation at The Championships this year will be the introduction of graphical cues on displays to complement the audio calls from the electronic line calling system.
This addresses situations where the crowd have sometimes been unsure if a shot was out or in.
In other news, with exactly a century of days to go until the beginning of the tournament, the AELTC have also announced an expansion in daily attendance at the qualifying competition in the qualifying venue.
