Wimbledon will follow the American and Aussie Opens in utilizing video review technology.
Replay systems are set to arrive at Wimbledon this year.
Players are granted the option to challenge particular calls from the official, following the protocol already in use at both the US Open and the Australian Open.
This technology will be accessible on the main stadium and Court One for the duration of the tournament and on the remaining show courts when they are hosting singles matches.
This step comes just a year after the All England Club rolled out ELC, which brought an end to the centuries-old role of line officials.
Reviewable Decisions
Players cannot to challenge the accuracy of the ELC system, but they can ask for the umpire to re-examine other situations, including:
- Whether a tennis ball has double-bounced.
- If a shot touched an rival's racket or person on the way past.
- Possible hindrance at the conclusion of a rally.
Notably, there will be no cap on the number of challenges a competitor can ask for.
Case in Point
An illustrative incident took place in a recent tournament last week, where a top player used the review system against Jack Draper.
Draper conceded it was a difficult call for the official, but believed his rival had "used the regulations quite well."
Official Aurelie Tourte viewed a replay and ruled the player was guilty of hindrance, awarding the rally to Medvedev.
Wider Implementation
Video reviews are not exclusive to Grand Slams. The system was adopted 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 ATP circuit plans to have video reviews implemented at all of its tournaments.
Additional Innovations
A further innovation at The Championships this year involves the addition of visual indicators on scoreboards to complement the verbal announcements from the electronic line calling system.
This solves situations where fans have occasionally been uncertain if a shot was in or out.
In other news, with precisely a century of days to go until the start of the Championships, organizers have further announced an expansion in daily attendance at the qualifiers in Roehampton.
