Wimbledon will follow the American and Aussie Opens in utilizing video review systems.
Replay systems will make its debut at Wimbledon in the upcoming tournament.
Athletes will gain the right to question specific decisions made by the official, echoing the system already in place at both the US Open and the Australian Open.
The new system is slated for use on the main stadium and Court One throughout the Championships and on the other four show courts when they are hosting singles matches.
This move arrives only a year after the AELTC introduced electronic line calling, which brought an end to the centuries-old tradition of line officials.
Reviewable Decisions
Competitors cannot to dispute the accuracy of the electronic line calling, but are allowed to request the umpire to re-examine specific situations, such as:
- Whether a tennis ball has double-bounced.
- Whether a shot made contact with an rival's racket or person on the way past.
- Potential interference at the conclusion of a point.
Importantly, there is no limit on the amount of challenges a player can initiate.
Practical Application
A recent case occurred in Indian Wells recently, where Daniil Medvedev initiated the review system against his opponent.
The British player conceded it was a tough situation for the official, but believed his rival had "played the rules quite well."
Official Aurelie Tourte viewed a video and ruled the player was responsible for interference, awarding the point to Medvedev.
Growing Trend
This technology are not exclusive to major tournaments. It has been in use at the US Open for two years and the Aussie Open this year.
Additionally, it is increasingly prevalent on the WTA circuit, and by next season the men's ATP Tour plans to have the system implemented at every one of its events.
Additional Innovations
A further change at The Championships this year involves the introduction of graphical cues on displays to support the verbal announcements from the ELC system.
This solves situations where spectators have occasionally been uncertain whether a shot was out or in.
In other news, with exactly 100 days remaining until the start of the tournament, the AELTC have further revealed an expansion in daily attendance at the qualifiers in the qualifying venue.
