Wimbledon will follow the American and Australian Opens in employing replay systems.
Video review systems will make its debut at The Championships in the upcoming tournament.
Athletes are granted the right to question specific decisions from the official, mirroring the system currently in operation at each of the US Open and the Aussie major.
This innovation will be accessible on Centre Court and the number one court throughout the Championships and on the other four featured courts when they are staging singles matches.
This development follows just a year after the AELTC introduced ELC, which terminated the 147-year role of line judges.
What Can Be Reviewed?
Competitors will not be permitted to challenge the accuracy of the electronic line calling, but they can request the official to review specific decisions, including:
- Whether a ball has bounced twice.
- If a ball touched an rival's racket or person during play.
- Possible hindrance end of a point.
Importantly, there is an unlimited number on the amount of reviews a competitor can initiate.
A Recent Example
An illustrative case occurred in Indian Wells last week, where a top player used the video challenge against his opponent.
The British player conceded it was a tough call for the official, but believed his rival had "played the rules quite well."
Official Aurelie Tourte watched a video and ruled Draper was guilty of interference, awarding the point to Medvedev.
Wider Implementation
Video reviews are not exclusive to Grand Slams. 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 ATP circuit plans to have the system in place at all of its events.
Additional Innovations
Another change at The Championships this year will be the addition of visual indicators on displays to support the audio calls from the electronic line calling system.
This solves situations where the crowd have occasionally been unsure if a ball was out or in.
In other news, with exactly a century of days remaining until the beginning of the tournament, the AELTC have further announced an increase in daily attendance at the qualifiers in Roehampton.
