Wimbledon will follow the US and Australian Opens in implementing video review technology.
Video review systems will make its debut at Wimbledon this year.
Players will gain the right to question certain calls made by the chair umpire, following the system currently in operation at both the American Grand Slam and the Aussie major.
The new system is slated for use on the main stadium and Court One for the duration of the Championships and on the remaining featured courts when they are staging singles matches.
This step arrives only a year after the All England Club introduced electronic line calling, which effectively ended the 147-year tradition of line judges.
What Can Be Reviewed?
Competitors cannot to dispute the accuracy of the ELC system, but are allowed to request the official to re-examine other decisions, including:
- If a tennis ball has bounced twice.
- Whether a shot touched an opponent's racquet or body during play.
- Possible interference end of a point.
Notably, there is no cap on the number of reviews a player can initiate.
Practical Application
A recent case took place in Indian Wells recently, where Daniil Medvedev used the video challenge against Jack Draper.
Draper conceded it was a tough call for the umpire, but believed his rival had "used the regulations quite well."
The umpire viewed a replay and determined the player was responsible for interference, granting the rally to Medvedev.
Broader Adoption
Video reviews aren't new for major tournaments. It has been in use at the US Open for two years and the Aussie 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 every one of its tournaments.
Additional Innovations
A further change at The Championships this year will be the introduction of visual indicators on scoreboards to support the verbal announcements from the ELC system.
This addresses instances where the crowd have occasionally been unsure whether a ball was in or out.
In other news, with precisely 100 days remaining until the beginning of the tournament, organizers have also revealed an expansion in daily attendance at the qualifiers in the qualifying venue.
