Wimbledon will follow the American and Australian Opens in utilizing replay technology.
Replay technology are set to arrive at The Championships this year.
Athletes will gain the ability to question particular rulings made by the chair umpire, mirroring the system currently in use at each of the American Grand Slam and the Australian Open.
The new system is slated for use on Centre Court and Court One for the duration of the Championships and on the other four show courts when they are staging singles contests.
This step comes just a year after the All England Club implemented ELC, which brought an end to the longstanding tradition of line judges.
What Can Be Reviewed?
Competitors will not be permitted to dispute the call of the electronic line calling, but are allowed to ask for the umpire to review other situations, including:
- If a tennis ball has double-bounced.
- If a ball made contact with an opponent's racquet or body on the way past.
- Potential interference at the conclusion of a rally.
Notably, there will be no cap on the number of reviews a player can initiate.
A Recent Example
An illustrative case took place in Indian Wells recently, where a top player initiated the review system against his opponent.
Draper admitted it was a tough call for the umpire, but believed his rival had "used the regulations effectively."
Official Aurelie Tourte watched a video and determined Draper was responsible for hindrance, awarding the point to his opponent.
Wider Implementation
Video reviews are not new for major tournaments. It has been in use at the American major for two years and the Aussie Open this year.
Furthermore, it is becoming more common on the women’s WTA Tour, and by the coming year the ATP circuit will have video reviews in place at every one of its tournaments.
Further Updates
A further innovation at The Championships this year involves the addition of visual indicators on displays to complement the audio calls from the electronic line calling system.
This solves instances where spectators have sometimes been uncertain whether a shot was out or in.
In other news, with precisely 100 days to go until the start of the Championships, the AELTC have further announced an increase in daily capacity at the qualifiers in the qualifying venue.
