Wimbledon will follow the American and Aussie Opens in utilizing replay systems.
Replay technology are set to arrive at Wimbledon this year.
Competitors are granted the right to contest particular calls made by the official, echoing the system already in operation at both the US Open and the Aussie major.
This innovation will be accessible on Centre Court and the number one court for the duration of the Championships and on the other four featured courts when they are staging singles matches.
This step arrives only a season following the All England Club introduced ELC, which effectively ended the 147-year tradition of line judges.
Scope of Challenges
Competitors will not be permitted to challenge the accuracy of the ELC system, but they can ask for the official to re-examine specific situations, including:
- Whether a ball has bounced twice.
- Whether a shot made contact with an rival's racket or person on the way past.
- Potential interference at the conclusion of a rally.
Notably, there is an unlimited number on the amount of challenges a competitor can request.
Practical Application
A recent example occurred in a recent tournament recently, where a top player initiated the review system against Jack Draper.
Draper admitted it was a tough call for the umpire, but believed his rival had "played the rules quite well."
The umpire watched a replay and ruled Draper was guilty of hindrance, awarding the point to his opponent.
Broader Adoption
Video reviews aren't exclusive to major tournaments. The system has been in use 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 next season the men's ATP Tour plans to have the system in place at all of its events.
Further Updates
A further innovation at The Championships this year involves the addition of graphical cues on scoreboards to support the verbal announcements from the electronic line calling system.
This addresses instances where spectators have occasionally been uncertain if a ball was out or in.
Finally, with exactly 100 days to go until the start of the Championships, organizers have further revealed an increase in daily capacity at the qualifying competition in Roehampton.
