Wimbledon will follow the US and Australian Opens in utilizing replay systems.
Video review systems will make its debut at Wimbledon in the upcoming tournament.
Competitors are granted the right to contest certain rulings from the chair umpire, following the system currently in place at each of the American Grand Slam and the Aussie major.
This innovation is slated for use on the main stadium and Court One for the duration of the Championships and on the remaining featured courts when they are hosting singles contests.
This step arrives only a year after the AELTC introduced ELC, which terminated the longstanding role of line officials.
Scope of Challenges
Competitors will not be permitted to dispute the call of the electronic line calling, but they can request the official to re-examine other situations, including:
- Whether a ball has double-bounced.
- If a ball touched an opponent's racquet or person on the way past.
- Possible interference end of a rally.
Notably, there will be an unlimited number on the number of reviews a player can request.
A Recent Example
A recent incident took place in Indian Wells recently, where Daniil Medvedev used the video challenge against his opponent.
The British player admitted it was a difficult situation for the umpire, but thought his opponent had "played the rules effectively."
Official Aurelie Tourte viewed a replay and ruled the player was guilty of interference, awarding the rally to Medvedev.
Broader Adoption
This technology aren't new for major tournaments. It was adopted at the US Open for two years and the Aussie Open this year.
Additionally, it is becoming more common on the WTA circuit, and by the coming year the men's ATP Tour will have the system implemented at all of its events.
Other Changes
A further change at Wimbledon this year will be the introduction of visual indicators on displays to complement the verbal announcements from the electronic line calling system.
This solves instances where spectators have sometimes been unsure whether a shot was in or out.
In other news, with exactly a century of days remaining until the beginning of the tournament, organizers have also revealed an increase in daily attendance at the qualifiers in Roehampton.
