Wimbledon will follow the US and Aussie Opens in employing video review systems.
Replay systems are set to arrive at Wimbledon in the upcoming tournament.
Competitors will gain the right to question specific calls made by the official, mirroring the protocol currently in use at both the US Open and the Aussie major.
This technology will be accessible on the main stadium and the number one court throughout the Championships and on the remaining featured courts when they are hosting singles contests.
This development follows just a season following the AELTC rolled out ELC, which effectively ended the centuries-old tradition of line officials.
What Can Be Reviewed?
Competitors will not be permitted to challenge the call of the electronic line calling, but are allowed to ask for the umpire to review other situations, such as:
- Whether a ball has double-bounced.
- Whether a shot touched an rival's racket or person on the way past.
- Potential interference at the conclusion of a rally.
Notably, there is no limit on the number of challenges a player can initiate.
Case in Point
A recent incident took place in a recent tournament last week, where a top player used the video challenge against his opponent.
The British player conceded it was a tough call for the umpire, but believed his opponent had "played the rules effectively."
Official Aurelie Tourte viewed a video and determined the player was responsible for interference, awarding the rally to his opponent.
Wider Implementation
Video reviews are not exclusive to major tournaments. It was adopted 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 ATP circuit plans to have the system in place at every one of its tournaments.
Additional Innovations
Another innovation at The Championships this year involves the introduction of graphical cues on displays to support the audio calls from the ELC system.
This solves situations where fans have sometimes been uncertain if a ball was out or in.
Finally, with precisely 100 days remaining until the start of the Championships, the AELTC have also revealed an expansion in daily capacity at the qualifying competition in Roehampton.
