Wimbledon will follow the American and Australian Opens in implementing video review systems.
Replay technology will be launched at Wimbledon in the upcoming tournament.
Players are granted the ability to contest specific rulings made by the chair umpire, echoing the system currently in operation at both the American Grand Slam and the Australian Open.
The new system will be accessible on Centre Court and the number one court for the duration of the tournament and on the other four featured courts when they are staging singles contests.
This move arrives only a season following the AELTC introduced electronic line calling, which terminated the longstanding role of line judges.
What Can Be Reviewed?
Players will not be permitted to dispute the call of the ELC system, but are allowed to request the umpire to re-examine specific decisions, such as:
- If a ball has double-bounced.
- If a shot touched an rival's racket or body during play.
- Possible hindrance at the conclusion of a rally.
Importantly, there will be no limit on the number of reviews a competitor can request.
Practical Application
A recent example took place in Indian Wells last week, where a top player initiated the review system against Jack Draper.
Draper conceded it was a tough call for the umpire, but thought his rival had "played the rules quite well."
The umpire viewed a replay and ruled Draper was guilty of hindrance, awarding the point to Medvedev.
Broader Adoption
This technology are not exclusive to major tournaments. It has been in use at the US Open for two years and the Australian Open this year.
Furthermore, it is becoming more common on the WTA circuit, and by next season the men's ATP Tour will have video reviews implemented at every one of its tournaments.
Other Changes
A further innovation at Wimbledon this year will be the addition of visual indicators on scoreboards to support the audio calls from the ELC system.
This solves situations where spectators have occasionally been unsure if a ball was out or in.
In other news, with exactly 100 days remaining until the start of the Championships, the AELTC have further announced an increase in daily capacity at the qualifiers in Roehampton.
