Wimbledon will follow the American and Australian Opens in employing replay technology.
Video review systems will be launched at Wimbledon in the upcoming tournament.
Players are granted the option to challenge specific calls made by the chair umpire, following the protocol already in place at both the US Open and the Aussie major.
This innovation will be operational on Centre Court and the number one court throughout the tournament and on the other four show courts when they are hosting singles matches.
This development follows just a year after the AELTC rolled out ELC, which terminated the 147-year role of line officials.
Reviewable Decisions
Competitors cannot to challenge the accuracy of the electronic line calling, but are allowed to ask for the umpire to review specific situations, including:
- Whether a tennis ball has double-bounced.
- Whether a shot touched an rival's racket or body during play.
- Possible interference end of a rally.
Importantly, there will be no limit on the amount of challenges a player can request.
Case in Point
An illustrative example occurred in a recent tournament last week, where a top player used the video challenge against his opponent.
Draper admitted it was a difficult situation for the official, but thought his opponent had "played the rules effectively."
Official Aurelie Tourte watched a video and determined the player was responsible for hindrance, granting the rally to his opponent.
Growing Trend
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 becoming more common on the women’s WTA Tour, and by the coming year the ATP circuit plans to have the system in place at all of its tournaments.
Other Changes
Another change at Wimbledon this year involves the introduction of visual indicators on displays to complement the verbal announcements from the ELC system.
This addresses instances where the crowd have occasionally been unsure if a shot was out or in.
Finally, with precisely a century of days to go until the start of the tournament, organizers have also revealed an increase in daily capacity at the qualifiers in the qualifying venue.
