Wimbledon will follow the US and Aussie Opens in implementing video review technology.
Video review systems will make its debut at The Championships in the upcoming tournament.
Competitors are granted the right to contest certain rulings from the chair umpire, echoing the system currently in use at both the US Open and the Australian Open.
The new system will be operational on the main stadium and Court One for the duration of the Championships and on the other four show courts when they are staging singles contests.
This move follows just a season following the All England Club introduced ELC, which effectively ended the longstanding role of line officials.
What Can Be Reviewed?
Competitors cannot to dispute the call of the electronic line calling, but they can ask for the official to re-examine specific decisions, such as:
- Whether a ball has double-bounced.
- If a shot touched an rival's racket or person during play.
- Potential interference end of a point.
Importantly, there will be no limit on the amount of challenges a player can ask for.
Case in Point
An illustrative case occurred in a recent tournament last week, where Daniil Medvedev used the video challenge against his opponent.
Draper admitted it was a difficult situation for the official, but thought his opponent had "used the regulations quite well."
The umpire watched a video and determined Draper was guilty of interference, granting the rally to his opponent.
Wider Implementation
This technology aren't new for major tournaments. It 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 ATP circuit will have the system in place at every one of its events.
Additional Innovations
Another innovation at The Championships this year involves the introduction of visual indicators on scoreboards to complement the verbal announcements from the ELC system.
This solves instances where fans have sometimes been uncertain if a shot was out or in.
Finally, with precisely 100 days to go until the start of the Championships, organizers have also revealed an increase in daily attendance at the qualifiers in Roehampton.
