Wimbledon will follow the US and Australian Opens in implementing replay technology.
Video review technology are set to arrive at The Championships in the upcoming tournament.
Athletes are granted the ability to question specific decisions made by the chair umpire, mirroring the system already in use at each of the American Grand Slam and the Australian Open.
This innovation will be operational on Centre Court and the number one court throughout the Championships and on the other four show courts when they are hosting singles matches.
This development follows just a season following the AELTC introduced electronic line calling, which terminated the longstanding role of line judges.
Scope of Challenges
Players will not be permitted to challenge the accuracy of the electronic line calling, but they can request the umpire to review other situations, including:
- Whether a ball has double-bounced.
- If a ball touched an opponent's racquet or person during play.
- Possible interference end of a rally.
Importantly, there will be no cap on the amount of reviews a player can initiate.
A Recent Example
A recent example took place in a recent tournament recently, where a top player initiated the video challenge against Jack Draper.
Draper admitted it was a difficult situation for the official, but thought his rival had "used the regulations quite well."
Official Aurelie Tourte viewed a video and determined the player was guilty of hindrance, awarding the point to Medvedev.
Wider Implementation
Video reviews aren't exclusive to major tournaments. It has been in use at the US Open for two years and the Aussie Open this year.
Furthermore, it is becoming more common on the women’s WTA Tour, and by next season the ATP circuit will have video reviews in place at all of its events.
Other Changes
A further change at Wimbledon this year involves the addition of visual indicators on displays to complement the verbal announcements from the electronic line calling system.
This solves situations where the crowd have sometimes been uncertain whether a ball was in or out.
In other news, with precisely a century of days remaining until the start of the Championships, organizers have further revealed an increase in daily attendance at the qualifying competition in Roehampton.
