Wimbledon will follow the US and Australian Opens in employing replay systems.
Replay systems will make its debut at Wimbledon this year.
Competitors will gain the option to challenge particular calls made by the official, following the protocol already in operation at both the American Grand Slam and the Australian Open.
This innovation is slated for use on Centre Court and the number one court throughout the Championships and on the other four featured courts when they are staging singles contests.
This move follows just a season following the All England Club rolled out ELC, which effectively ended the 147-year role of line judges.
What Can Be Reviewed?
Competitors cannot to dispute the call of the electronic line calling, but they can request the official to review other situations, including:
- Whether a tennis ball has double-bounced.
- Whether a shot touched an opponent's racquet or body during play.
- Possible hindrance at the conclusion of a rally.
Importantly, there is no limit on the amount of challenges a player can request.
Case in Point
A recent incident occurred in Indian Wells last week, where Daniil Medvedev used the video challenge against Jack Draper.
The British player conceded it was a tough situation for the umpire, but believed his rival had "played the rules quite well."
The umpire watched a replay and determined the player was responsible for interference, granting the rally to his opponent.
Wider Implementation
This technology aren't new for Grand Slams. It was adopted at the US Open for two years and the Aussie Open this year.
Additionally, it is increasingly prevalent on the women’s WTA Tour, and by the coming year the men's ATP Tour plans to have video reviews in place at every one of its events.
Additional Innovations
A further change at Wimbledon this year will be the addition of graphical cues on displays to support the audio calls from the electronic line calling system.
This solves instances where fans have occasionally been uncertain whether a shot was in or out.
In other news, with exactly a century of days remaining until the beginning of the Championships, the AELTC have further announced an increase in daily attendance at the qualifying competition in the qualifying venue.
