Wimbledon will follow the US and Australian Opens in implementing video review systems.
Video review technology are set to arrive at The Championships this year.
Athletes are granted the right to question particular decisions from the chair umpire, following the system already in operation at both the American Grand Slam and the Aussie major.
This innovation is slated for use on Centre Court and the number one court throughout the Championships and on the remaining show courts when they are hosting singles matches.
This development arrives only a year after the All England Club rolled out electronic line calling, which terminated the longstanding tradition of line judges.
Scope of Challenges
Players cannot to dispute the accuracy of the ELC system, but they can request the umpire to re-examine specific situations, such as:
- Whether a tennis ball has bounced twice.
- If a shot touched an opponent's racquet or person during play.
- Possible interference at the conclusion of a point.
Importantly, there is an unlimited number on the amount of reviews a player can request.
Practical Application
A recent case occurred in Indian Wells last week, where Daniil Medvedev initiated the video challenge against his opponent.
Draper conceded it was a tough call for the official, but thought his opponent had "played the rules effectively."
Official Aurelie Tourte viewed a video and ruled Draper was guilty of interference, granting the rally to Medvedev.
Growing Trend
Video reviews are not exclusive to major tournaments. The system has been in use at the US Open for two years and the Australian Open this year.
Additionally, it is becoming more common on the women’s WTA Tour, and by next season the ATP circuit plans to have video reviews implemented at every one of its tournaments.
Other Changes
A further innovation at Wimbledon this year will be the addition of graphical cues on displays to support the audio calls from the ELC system.
This addresses situations where spectators have sometimes been unsure whether a ball was in or out.
Finally, with precisely 100 days to go until the beginning of the Championships, the AELTC have also revealed an increase in daily attendance at the qualifying competition in the qualifying venue.
