Wimbledon will follow the US and Aussie Opens in utilizing replay technology.
Video review technology will make its debut at Wimbledon in the upcoming tournament.
Players are granted the option to question specific rulings from the official, mirroring the protocol already in operation at both the American Grand Slam and the Aussie major.
The new system will be accessible on the main stadium and the number one court for the duration of the tournament and on the other four featured courts when they are staging singles matches.
This move comes just a season following the AELTC rolled out ELC, which terminated the 147-year tradition of line judges.
Scope of Challenges
Competitors will not be permitted to dispute the accuracy of the electronic line calling, but are allowed to ask for the umpire to re-examine specific situations, such as:
- If a ball has bounced twice.
- If a ball made contact with an rival's racket or person on the way past.
- Possible hindrance end of a rally.
Importantly, there will be an unlimited number on the number of reviews a competitor can ask for.
A Recent Example
A recent example took place in a recent tournament last week, where Daniil Medvedev initiated the review system against Jack Draper.
The British player conceded it was a difficult call for the umpire, but thought his rival had "played the rules quite well."
The umpire watched a replay and determined the player was guilty of interference, awarding the point to his opponent.
Growing Trend
Video reviews aren't new for Grand Slams. The system has been in use at the US Open for two years and the Aussie Open this year.
Furthermore, it is becoming more common on the women’s WTA Tour, and by next season the ATP circuit plans to have video reviews implemented at all of its events.
Additional Innovations
A further change at Wimbledon this year will be the addition of visual indicators on scoreboards to complement the audio calls from the electronic line calling system.
This addresses situations where the crowd have sometimes been uncertain whether a shot was out or in.
In other news, with exactly 100 days to go until the beginning of the tournament, organizers have further revealed an increase in daily capacity at the qualifying competition in Roehampton.
