The tournament joins the American and Aussie Opens in implementing replay technology.
Replay technology will make its debut at The Championships this year.
Players will gain the option to contest particular decisions made by the chair umpire, echoing the protocol already in use at both the US Open and the Aussie major.
This innovation will be operational on the main stadium and the number one court for the duration of the Championships and on the other four show courts when they are hosting singles contests.
This move comes just a year after the AELTC implemented ELC, which effectively ended the 147-year tradition of line officials.
Scope of Challenges
Players cannot to challenge the accuracy of the electronic line calling, but are allowed to request the umpire to re-examine other decisions, such as:
- If a ball has bounced twice.
- Whether a shot made contact with an rival's racket or person during play.
- Possible interference end of a point.
Notably, there will be an unlimited number on the number of reviews a player can request.
Case in Point
A recent case took place in Indian Wells recently, where Daniil Medvedev initiated the review system against his opponent.
Draper admitted it was a difficult call for the umpire, but thought his opponent had "played the rules quite well."
The umpire viewed a video and determined the player was guilty of hindrance, awarding the point to Medvedev.
Broader Adoption
Video reviews aren't new for major tournaments. The system was adopted at the American major for two years and the Australian Open this year.
Furthermore, it is increasingly prevalent on the women’s WTA Tour, and by next season the ATP circuit will have the system in place at all of its events.
Additional Innovations
Another change at Wimbledon this year will be the addition of visual indicators on displays to complement the audio calls from the ELC system.
This addresses instances where spectators have occasionally been unsure if a ball was out or in.
In other news, with exactly 100 days remaining until the beginning of the tournament, the AELTC have also revealed an expansion in daily capacity at the qualifiers in the qualifying venue.
