Wimbledon will follow the American and Australian Opens in implementing video review systems.
Replay technology will be launched at Wimbledon in the upcoming tournament.
Competitors will gain the ability to contest specific calls made by the official, following the protocol already in use at each of the US Open and the Aussie major.
This technology is slated for use on the main stadium and Court One for the duration of the tournament and on the other four featured courts when they are staging singles contests.
This development arrives only a year after the All England Club rolled out ELC, which brought an end to the 147-year role of line judges.
What Can Be Reviewed?
Players will not be permitted to challenge the accuracy of the ELC system, but are allowed to request the umpire to re-examine specific decisions, including:
- If a tennis ball has bounced twice.
- If a ball made contact with an opponent's racquet or person on the way past.
- Possible hindrance end of a point.
Importantly, there is an unlimited number on the number of reviews a player can ask for.
Practical Application
A recent case occurred in Indian Wells last week, where a top player initiated the review system against his opponent.
The British player admitted it was a tough situation for the umpire, but thought his opponent had "played the rules effectively."
The umpire watched a replay and ruled Draper was guilty of interference, granting the point to Medvedev.
Broader Adoption
Video reviews aren't exclusive to Grand Slams. The system was adopted at the American major for two years and the Australian Open this year.
Additionally, it is becoming more common on the women’s WTA Tour, and by the coming year the men's ATP Tour will have video reviews in place at every one of its events.
Further Updates
Another change at The Championships this year involves the introduction of graphical cues on scoreboards to support the verbal announcements from the electronic line calling system.
This addresses situations where spectators have sometimes been uncertain if a shot was in or out.
In other news, with exactly a century of days remaining until the beginning of the tournament, organizers have further announced an expansion in daily attendance at the qualifying competition in Roehampton.
