Wimbledon will follow the American and Australian Opens in employing video review systems.
Video review technology will be launched at Wimbledon in the upcoming tournament.
Competitors will gain the ability to question particular rulings made by the official, following the protocol currently in place at each of the US Open and the Australian Open.
This technology will be accessible on Centre Court and Court One for the duration of the Championships and on the other four show courts when they are staging singles matches.
This move follows just a season following the All England Club implemented electronic line calling, which effectively ended the longstanding role of line judges.
Reviewable Decisions
Competitors cannot to challenge the accuracy of the ELC system, but are allowed to request the official to re-examine other decisions, such as:
- Whether a ball has bounced twice.
- If a shot made contact with an opponent's racquet or person on the way past.
- Possible interference at the conclusion of a rally.
Importantly, there will be an unlimited number on the number of challenges a competitor can request.
Case in Point
A recent case took place in a recent tournament recently, where a top player used the video challenge against his opponent.
The British player admitted it was a difficult situation for the umpire, but thought his rival had "played the rules quite well."
Official Aurelie Tourte viewed a video and ruled Draper was guilty of hindrance, granting the point to his opponent.
Growing Trend
Video reviews aren't new for Grand Slams. 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 women’s WTA Tour, and by the coming year the men's ATP Tour plans to have the system implemented at all of its tournaments.
Other Changes
A further change at The Championships this year will be the introduction of graphical cues on displays to complement the audio calls from the electronic line calling system.
This addresses instances where spectators have occasionally been unsure whether a ball was out or in.
Finally, with precisely a century of days remaining until the beginning of the tournament, the AELTC have further announced an expansion in daily capacity at the qualifying competition in Roehampton.
