Wimbledon will follow the US and Australian Opens in implementing replay systems.
Video review technology will be launched at Wimbledon this year.
Competitors will gain the ability to question certain calls made by the chair umpire, mirroring the protocol currently in use at both the American Grand Slam and the Aussie major.
This innovation will be operational on the main stadium and the number one court throughout the tournament and on the other four featured courts when they are staging singles contests.
This move arrives only a season following the AELTC rolled out ELC, which brought an end to the centuries-old role of line judges.
Scope of Challenges
Competitors cannot to challenge the call of the electronic line calling, but are allowed to request the official to review specific decisions, such as:
- If a ball has bounced twice.
- If a shot touched an rival's racket or person during play.
- Potential hindrance end of a rally.
Importantly, there is no cap on the amount of challenges a competitor can ask for.
A Recent Example
A recent case occurred in Indian Wells last week, where Daniil Medvedev initiated the video challenge against his opponent.
The British player conceded it was a tough situation for the umpire, but believed his rival had "played the rules effectively."
Official Aurelie Tourte watched a video and determined Draper was guilty of hindrance, granting the point to his opponent.
Growing Trend
Video reviews aren't new for Grand Slams. The system has been in use at the American major for two years and the Aussie Open this year.
Additionally, it is becoming more common on the WTA circuit, and by the coming year the men's ATP Tour plans to have the system implemented at every one of its events.
Additional Innovations
A further innovation at Wimbledon this year will be the addition of graphical cues on displays to support the verbal announcements from the electronic line calling system.
This solves situations where the crowd have occasionally been unsure if a ball was in or out.
In other news, with precisely a century of days to go until the beginning of the Championships, organizers have also announced an expansion in daily attendance at the qualifiers in the qualifying venue.
