Wimbledon will follow the US and Australian Opens in implementing video review systems.
Video review technology are set to arrive at The Championships in the upcoming tournament.
Competitors are granted the ability to question specific decisions made by the chair umpire, following the system already in place at both the US Open and the Australian Open.
This technology will be operational on Centre Court and Court One for the duration of the tournament and on the remaining featured courts when they are hosting singles contests.
This development arrives only a season following the All England Club implemented ELC, which terminated the 147-year role of line officials.
Reviewable Decisions
Players cannot to challenge the accuracy of the electronic line calling, but they can ask for the umpire to review other situations, such as:
- Whether a ball has bounced twice.
- Whether a shot made contact with an opponent's racquet or person during play.
- Potential interference end of a point.
Notably, there is no limit on the number of challenges a competitor can request.
Practical Application
A recent case occurred in a recent tournament recently, where Daniil Medvedev initiated the review system against his opponent.
The British player conceded it was a tough call for the official, but believed his opponent had "played the rules quite well."
Official Aurelie Tourte watched a video and determined Draper was responsible for hindrance, granting the rally to his opponent.
Growing Trend
Video reviews aren't exclusive to Grand Slams. It was adopted at the US Open for two years and the Australian Open this year.
Furthermore, it is increasingly prevalent on the WTA circuit, and by next season the ATP circuit will have video reviews implemented at all of its tournaments.
Further Updates
A further innovation at Wimbledon this year will be the addition of graphical cues on scoreboards to complement the verbal announcements from the electronic line calling system.
This addresses situations where the crowd have occasionally been unsure if a ball was out or in.
In other news, with exactly 100 days remaining until the beginning of the Championships, organizers have further announced an increase in daily attendance at the qualifying competition in the qualifying venue.
