Wimbledon will follow the American and Aussie Opens in utilizing replay systems.
Video review systems will make its debut at The Championships this year.
Players will gain the right to question certain rulings made by the official, echoing the system currently in use at each of the US Open and the Aussie major.
This innovation will be accessible on the main stadium and Court One throughout the Championships and on the other four show courts when they are hosting singles matches.
This step arrives only a year after the All England Club rolled out electronic line calling, which effectively ended the longstanding tradition of line officials.
Scope of Challenges
Players cannot to challenge the call of the ELC system, but they can request the official to re-examine specific decisions, such as:
- If a tennis ball has double-bounced.
- Whether a ball touched an opponent's racquet or person during play.
- Potential hindrance at the conclusion of a point.
Notably, there will be no limit on the number of challenges a competitor can request.
Case in Point
An illustrative incident occurred in Indian Wells last week, where a top player used the video challenge against Jack Draper.
Draper conceded it was a tough situation for the umpire, but believed his rival had "played the rules quite well."
Official Aurelie Tourte viewed a video and determined Draper was guilty of hindrance, awarding the rally to Medvedev.
Growing Trend
Video reviews are not exclusive to major tournaments. The system has been in use at the US Open for two years and the Australian Open this year.
Furthermore, it is increasingly prevalent on the WTA circuit, and by the coming year the ATP circuit plans to have the system implemented at every one of its events.
Additional Innovations
A further innovation at Wimbledon this year will be the addition of visual indicators on displays to support the verbal announcements from the ELC system.
This addresses instances where the crowd have occasionally been uncertain whether a shot was out or in.
In other news, with precisely 100 days remaining until the beginning of the tournament, the AELTC have also revealed an increase in daily attendance at the qualifying competition in the qualifying venue.
