Wimbledon will follow the US and Aussie Opens in employing video review systems.
Video review technology will be launched at The Championships this year.
Competitors are granted the option to challenge certain rulings from the chair umpire, echoing the protocol currently in operation at each of the American Grand Slam and the Aussie major.
This technology is slated for use on the main stadium and Court One for the duration of the tournament and on the remaining featured courts when they are staging singles contests.
This development comes just a season following the All England Club introduced electronic line calling, which terminated the centuries-old role of line judges.
Scope of Challenges
Competitors will not be permitted to dispute the call of the ELC system, but they can ask for the official to re-examine other decisions, such as:
- If a tennis ball has double-bounced.
- Whether a shot made contact with an rival's racket or body during play.
- Possible interference end of a point.
Notably, there will be an unlimited number on the amount of reviews a player can ask for.
Practical Application
An illustrative incident occurred in a recent tournament last week, where a top player initiated the video challenge against his opponent.
Draper admitted it was a tough situation for the umpire, but thought his opponent had "used the regulations quite well."
The umpire viewed a video and determined the player was responsible for interference, granting the rally to Medvedev.
Wider Implementation
Video reviews aren't new for major tournaments. The system was adopted at the American major for two years and the Australian Open this year.
Furthermore, it is increasingly prevalent on the WTA circuit, and by the coming year the men's ATP Tour plans to have video reviews in place at every one of its tournaments.
Additional Innovations
Another innovation at Wimbledon this year will be the introduction of graphical cues on scoreboards to complement the audio calls from the ELC system.
This solves instances where spectators have occasionally been unsure whether a ball was out or in.
In other news, with exactly 100 days to go until the beginning of the tournament, the AELTC have also revealed an increase in daily attendance at the qualifiers in Roehampton.
