Wimbledon will follow the US and Aussie Opens in employing replay systems.
Replay technology will be launched at The Championships in the upcoming tournament.
Players will gain the right to challenge particular calls from the official, echoing the protocol already in operation at both the American Grand Slam and the Australian Open.
This technology is slated for use on the main stadium and Court One for the duration of the Championships and on the other four featured courts when they are staging singles contests.
This development follows just a year after the AELTC implemented ELC, which terminated the centuries-old role of line officials.
What Can Be Reviewed?
Competitors cannot to challenge the accuracy of the ELC system, but they can request the umpire to re-examine other decisions, including:
- Whether a tennis ball has bounced twice.
- If a shot made contact with an opponent's racquet or body during play.
- Potential interference end of a rally.
Importantly, there will be an unlimited number on the number of challenges a player can ask for.
A Recent Example
An illustrative example occurred in Indian Wells last week, where a top player used the video challenge against Jack Draper.
The British player conceded it was a difficult situation for the umpire, but thought his opponent had "used the regulations quite well."
Official Aurelie Tourte viewed a replay and ruled Draper was guilty of hindrance, granting the rally to Medvedev.
Wider Implementation
This technology aren't exclusive to major tournaments. It was adopted 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 men's ATP Tour plans to have video reviews in place at every one of its tournaments.
Further Updates
A further change at Wimbledon this year will be the introduction of graphical cues on scoreboards to complement the audio calls from the electronic line calling system.
This solves instances where spectators have sometimes been uncertain whether a ball was in or out.
In other news, with precisely 100 days to go until the start of the tournament, organizers have also revealed an expansion in daily capacity at the qualifiers in Roehampton.
