Wimbledon will follow the US and Aussie Opens in utilizing video review systems.
Video review technology will make its debut at The Championships in the upcoming tournament.
Competitors are granted the right to question certain decisions made by the official, following the practice already in operation at both the US Open and the Australian Open.
The new system is slated for use on the main stadium and the number one court throughout the tournament and on the other four show courts when they are staging singles contests.
This move follows just a year after the AELTC rolled out ELC, which effectively ended the longstanding role of line judges.
What Can Be Reviewed?
Competitors cannot to dispute the accuracy of the ELC system, but they can ask for the official to re-examine specific situations, including:
- Whether a tennis ball has double-bounced.
- If a ball made contact with an opponent's racquet or body during play.
- Potential interference end of a point.
Importantly, there will be an unlimited number on the amount of challenges a player can ask for.
Case in Point
An illustrative incident took place in Indian Wells last week, where Daniil Medvedev initiated the review system against his opponent.
Draper conceded it was a tough call for the umpire, but thought his opponent had "played the rules quite well."
Official Aurelie Tourte viewed a replay and determined the player was guilty of hindrance, awarding the rally to Medvedev.
Wider Implementation
This technology aren't new for major tournaments. The system has been in use at the American major for two years and the Australian Open this year.
Additionally, it is increasingly prevalent on the women’s WTA Tour, and by the coming year the men's ATP Tour will have video reviews in place at all of its events.
Other Changes
A further change at The Championships this year involves the addition of graphical cues on displays to support the audio calls from the ELC system.
This solves situations where the crowd have sometimes been uncertain whether a ball was in or out.
In other news, with exactly a century of days remaining until the beginning of the tournament, the AELTC have also revealed an expansion in daily capacity at the qualifiers in the qualifying venue.
