Wimbledon will follow the American and Aussie Opens in utilizing replay technology.
Video review technology will make its debut at Wimbledon in the upcoming tournament.
Competitors are granted the right to contest certain decisions made by the official, following the practice currently in place at each of the American Grand Slam and the Aussie major.
This technology will be operational on the main stadium and Court One for the duration of the tournament and on the remaining featured courts when they are hosting singles matches.
This development arrives only a year after the All England Club rolled out ELC, which brought an end to the longstanding tradition of line officials.
Scope of Challenges
Competitors cannot to challenge the accuracy of the electronic line calling, but are allowed to request the umpire to review other decisions, including:
- Whether a ball has bounced twice.
- Whether a shot touched an rival's racket or person during play.
- Potential interference at the conclusion of a point.
Importantly, there will be an unlimited number on the amount of challenges a competitor can initiate.
Case in Point
A recent example occurred in a recent tournament recently, where a top player used the video challenge against Jack Draper.
Draper conceded it was a difficult situation for the official, but thought his rival had "used the regulations quite well."
The umpire watched a video and ruled the player was guilty of interference, granting the point to his opponent.
Broader Adoption
This technology aren't new for major tournaments. The system has been in use at the US Open for two years and the Aussie Open this year.
Furthermore, it is increasingly prevalent on the WTA circuit, and by next season the men's ATP Tour plans to have video reviews in place at all of its events.
Further Updates
A further innovation at The Championships this year involves the introduction of graphical cues on displays to support the audio calls from the electronic line calling system.
This addresses instances where spectators have occasionally been unsure whether a ball was in or out.
In other news, with exactly 100 days to go until the start of the Championships, the AELTC have also announced an expansion in daily attendance at the qualifying competition in the qualifying venue.
