Wimbledon will follow the American and Aussie Opens in implementing video review systems.
Video review systems are set to arrive at Wimbledon in the upcoming tournament.
Athletes are granted the right to question specific decisions made by the chair umpire, mirroring the system currently in use at each of the US Open and the Australian Open.
This technology is slated for use on the main stadium and the number one court throughout the tournament and on the other four show courts when they are hosting singles contests.
This step follows just a year after the All England Club rolled out ELC, which brought an end to the longstanding tradition of line judges.
Reviewable Decisions
Players cannot to dispute the call of the electronic line calling, but they can ask for the umpire to re-examine other situations, including:
- If a tennis ball has double-bounced.
- If a shot touched an opponent's racquet or body on the way past.
- Potential hindrance end of a point.
Importantly, there will be no limit on the amount of reviews a player can request.
Case in Point
A recent case took place in a recent tournament last week, where a top player initiated the video challenge against Jack Draper.
Draper admitted it was a difficult call for the official, but believed his opponent had "used the regulations effectively."
Official Aurelie Tourte viewed a video and ruled the player was responsible for interference, granting the point to Medvedev.
Wider Implementation
This technology are not new for major tournaments. It has been in use at the American major for two years and the Australian Open this year.
Additionally, it is increasingly prevalent on the women’s WTA Tour, and by the coming year the ATP circuit will have the system in place at every one of its events.
Additional Innovations
A further change at Wimbledon this year will be the addition of visual indicators on displays to support the audio calls from the electronic line calling system.
This solves instances where spectators have occasionally been uncertain if a ball was in or out.
Finally, with exactly a century of days remaining until the start of the tournament, organizers have further revealed an increase in daily capacity at the qualifiers in the qualifying venue.
