Wimbledon will follow the US and Aussie Opens in employing video review systems.
Replay technology are set to arrive at The Championships this year.
Players are granted the option to contest particular calls made by the official, mirroring the system currently in place at each of the US Open and the Australian Open.
The new system will be operational on Centre Court and the number one court throughout the tournament and on the other four show courts when they are hosting singles contests.
This step comes just a year after the All England Club rolled out electronic line calling, which terminated the centuries-old tradition of line judges.
What Can Be Reviewed?
Competitors will not be permitted to challenge the accuracy of the ELC system, but are allowed to ask for the official to review specific decisions, such as:
- If a ball has double-bounced.
- Whether a ball made contact with an rival's racket or person on the way past.
- Potential hindrance at the conclusion of a point.
Notably, there will be an unlimited number on the number of reviews a player can request.
A Recent Example
An illustrative case occurred in Indian Wells last week, where a top player used the review system against his opponent.
The British player conceded it was a tough call for the umpire, but believed his rival had "used the regulations effectively."
The umpire viewed a video and ruled the player was guilty of hindrance, granting the point to Medvedev.
Broader Adoption
Video reviews are not new for Grand Slams. It has been in use at the US Open for two years and the Aussie Open this year.
Furthermore, it is increasingly prevalent on the women’s WTA Tour, and by next season the men's ATP Tour will have the system implemented at all of its events.
Further Updates
Another innovation at Wimbledon this year involves the introduction of visual indicators on scoreboards to support the audio calls from the ELC system.
This addresses situations where fans have sometimes been uncertain whether a shot was in or out.
In other news, with exactly a century of days to go until the start of the tournament, the AELTC have further announced an increase in daily capacity at the qualifiers in Roehampton.
