Wimbledon will follow the American and Australian Opens in utilizing video review systems.
Video review technology are set to arrive at Wimbledon in the upcoming tournament.
Athletes will gain the right to contest certain calls from the official, mirroring the practice currently in use at both the American Grand Slam and the Aussie major.
This innovation is slated for use on the main stadium and Court One throughout the Championships and on the other four featured courts when they are staging singles contests.
This development arrives only a season following the AELTC introduced electronic line calling, which effectively ended the 147-year role of line judges.
Reviewable Decisions
Players cannot to challenge the call of the ELC system, but are allowed to request the umpire to review specific situations, including:
- Whether a ball has double-bounced.
- If a ball made contact with an opponent's racquet or body on the way past.
- Possible hindrance end of a point.
Notably, there is no cap on the amount of challenges a player can request.
Case in Point
An illustrative incident occurred in Indian Wells last week, where a top player initiated the review system against Jack Draper.
Draper conceded it was a difficult situation for the umpire, but believed his opponent had "used the regulations effectively."
Official Aurelie Tourte watched a video and determined Draper was responsible for hindrance, awarding the point to his opponent.
Wider Implementation
Video reviews are not new for major tournaments. It has been in use at the American major 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 the system implemented at all of its events.
Additional Innovations
Another innovation at The Championships this year will be the addition of graphical cues on scoreboards to support the verbal announcements from the electronic line calling system.
This solves situations where fans have sometimes been uncertain if a ball was in or out.
In other news, with exactly a century of days to go until the start of the tournament, organizers have further announced an increase in daily attendance at the qualifiers in the qualifying venue.
