Wimbledon will follow the American and Aussie Opens in utilizing replay systems.
Video review technology will be launched at The Championships in the upcoming tournament.
Players will gain the option to question specific calls made by the chair umpire, following the protocol currently in place at each of the American Grand Slam and the Aussie major.
The new system is slated for use on the main stadium and the number one court for the duration of the Championships and on the remaining show courts when they are hosting singles contests.
This step arrives only a year after the All England Club implemented ELC, which brought an end to the 147-year role of line judges.
Scope of Challenges
Players will not be permitted to challenge the call of the ELC system, but they can ask for the official to review specific decisions, including:
- Whether a ball has double-bounced.
- Whether a ball touched an rival's racket or person during play.
- Potential hindrance end of a point.
Notably, there will be no limit on the amount of reviews a player can request.
Case in Point
A recent example occurred in a recent tournament recently, where Daniil Medvedev used the video challenge against Jack Draper.
The British player conceded it was a difficult situation for the official, but thought his opponent had "played the rules quite well."
The umpire watched a video and ruled Draper was guilty of hindrance, granting the point to Medvedev.
Growing Trend
This technology aren't exclusive to major tournaments. It was adopted at the American major for two years and the Aussie Open this year.
Furthermore, it is becoming more common on the WTA circuit, and by next season the ATP circuit will have the system in place at every one of its tournaments.
Further Updates
A further change at Wimbledon this year involves the introduction of graphical cues on displays to complement the audio calls from the electronic line calling system.
This addresses instances where the crowd have sometimes been uncertain if a ball was out or in.
In other news, with precisely a century of days to go until the start of the Championships, organizers have further revealed an increase in daily capacity at the qualifiers in Roehampton.
