The tournament joins the American and Australian Opens in employing replay systems.
Video review technology are set to arrive at Wimbledon this year.
Athletes are granted the option to question specific decisions made by the chair umpire, mirroring the protocol already in use at both the US Open and the Australian Open.
The new system will be operational on Centre Court and the number one court throughout the tournament and on the other four featured courts when they are staging singles contests.
This development arrives only a year after the AELTC implemented electronic line calling, which brought an end to the centuries-old tradition of line officials.
Reviewable Decisions
Competitors cannot to challenge the call of the electronic line calling, but are allowed to request the umpire to re-examine specific situations, such as:
- Whether a ball has bounced twice.
- Whether a ball made contact with an rival's racket or person on the way past.
- Potential interference at the conclusion of a rally.
Notably, there is no cap on the number of reviews a competitor can initiate.
Practical Application
A recent case occurred in a recent tournament recently, where Daniil Medvedev initiated the video challenge against Jack Draper.
Draper admitted it was a tough situation for the umpire, but thought his rival had "used the regulations effectively."
The umpire viewed a video and ruled Draper was responsible for interference, granting the point to his opponent.
Wider Implementation
Video reviews are not new for major tournaments. The system has been in use at the American major for two years and the Aussie Open this year.
Furthermore, it is increasingly prevalent on the women’s WTA Tour, and by next season the ATP circuit plans to have the system implemented at all of its events.
Further Updates
Another innovation at The Championships this year involves the addition of visual indicators on scoreboards to complement the audio calls from the ELC system.
This solves situations where spectators have occasionally been unsure if a shot was in or out.
In other news, with precisely a century of days remaining until the beginning of the tournament, the AELTC have further revealed an increase in daily attendance at the qualifiers in the qualifying venue.
