Wimbledon will follow the US and Australian Opens in implementing video review technology.
Replay technology will make its debut at Wimbledon in the upcoming tournament.
Competitors are granted the ability to question particular decisions made by the chair umpire, following the practice currently in operation at each of the US Open and the Aussie major.
This technology will be operational on Centre Court and the number one court for the duration of the tournament and on the remaining show courts when they are staging singles matches.
This development follows just a season following the AELTC implemented electronic line calling, which effectively ended the centuries-old tradition of line officials.
Scope of Challenges
Competitors cannot to dispute the call of the ELC system, but they can request the official to review specific decisions, such as:
- If a tennis ball has bounced twice.
- If a ball touched an rival's racket or body during play.
- Possible interference end of a point.
Importantly, there is an unlimited number on the amount of challenges a player can initiate.
A Recent Example
A recent incident took place in a recent tournament recently, where a top player initiated the review system against Jack Draper.
The British player conceded it was a tough situation for the umpire, but thought his rival had "played the rules quite well."
The umpire watched a video and determined Draper was guilty of hindrance, granting the rally to Medvedev.
Growing Trend
Video reviews are not exclusive to Grand Slams. The system was adopted at the American major for two years and the Australian Open this year.
Furthermore, it is becoming more common on the women’s WTA Tour, and by next season the ATP circuit will have the system in place at every one of its tournaments.
Additional Innovations
Another innovation at Wimbledon this year involves the addition of graphical cues on displays to complement the audio calls from the ELC system.
This addresses instances where the crowd have sometimes been unsure if a ball was out or in.
Finally, with exactly a century of days to go until the beginning of the Championships, organizers have further revealed an increase in daily capacity at the qualifying competition in Roehampton.
