Wimbledon will follow the American and Aussie Opens in implementing replay technology.
Video review systems will make its debut at Wimbledon in the upcoming tournament.
Competitors will gain the option to challenge certain decisions made by the official, following the practice currently in use at both the US Open and the Aussie major.
This technology is slated for use on Centre Court and the number one court for the duration of the tournament and on the remaining featured courts when they are staging singles matches.
This move comes just a year after the All England Club implemented electronic line calling, which terminated the centuries-old role of line officials.
What Can Be Reviewed?
Players cannot to challenge the call of the ELC system, but are allowed to request the umpire to re-examine specific situations, including:
- Whether a ball has bounced twice.
- Whether a shot touched an opponent's racquet or person during play.
- Possible interference at the conclusion of a point.
Importantly, there is no cap on the number of challenges a competitor can ask for.
Case in Point
An illustrative example occurred in Indian Wells last week, where a top player used the review system against Jack Draper.
Draper admitted it was a difficult situation for the umpire, but thought his rival had "played the rules effectively."
Official Aurelie Tourte viewed a video and determined Draper was guilty of interference, granting the rally to his opponent.
Wider Implementation
This technology are not new for major tournaments. It was adopted at the American major for two years and the Aussie Open this year.
Additionally, it is increasingly prevalent on the women’s WTA Tour, and by the coming year the men's ATP Tour will have the system in place at all of its tournaments.
Additional Innovations
A further change at Wimbledon this year will be the introduction of visual indicators on scoreboards to support the audio calls from the electronic line calling system.
This solves situations where the crowd have occasionally been unsure whether a ball was out or in.
In other news, with exactly a century of days remaining until the start of the Championships, the AELTC have also announced an increase in daily capacity at the qualifying competition in the qualifying venue.
