Wimbledon will follow the American and Australian Opens in employing video review systems.
Replay systems are set to arrive at Wimbledon this year.
Competitors are granted the ability to question particular rulings from the official, mirroring the practice already in place at each of the American Grand Slam and the Aussie major.
This innovation will be operational on Centre Court and Court One throughout the Championships and on the remaining featured courts when they are hosting singles matches.
This development comes just a season following the All England Club rolled out electronic line calling, which effectively ended the centuries-old tradition of line judges.
What Can Be Reviewed?
Competitors cannot to challenge the accuracy of the electronic line calling, but they can request the umpire to review other decisions, such as:
- If a tennis ball has double-bounced.
- Whether a shot touched an rival's racket or person on the way past.
- Potential hindrance at the conclusion of a rally.
Importantly, there is no limit on the amount of reviews a player can initiate.
A Recent Example
An illustrative incident took place in Indian Wells recently, where Daniil Medvedev used the review system against his opponent.
Draper conceded it was a tough call for the official, but believed his rival had "used the regulations quite well."
Official Aurelie Tourte viewed a replay and ruled Draper was guilty of interference, granting the rally to his opponent.
Growing Trend
This technology aren't new for major tournaments. The system has been in use at the US Open for two years and the Australian Open this year.
Furthermore, it is increasingly prevalent on the WTA circuit, and by the coming year the ATP circuit plans to have video reviews in place at every one of its events.
Further Updates
Another innovation at The Championships this year involves the introduction of graphical cues on displays to complement the audio calls from the ELC system.
This addresses situations where fans have occasionally been uncertain whether a shot was in or out.
In other news, with precisely 100 days to go until the beginning of the Championships, the AELTC have further announced an increase in daily attendance at the qualifiers in the qualifying venue.
