Wimbledon will follow the American and Aussie Opens in implementing video review technology.
Video review systems are set to arrive at The Championships this year.
Athletes are granted the option to challenge specific rulings made by the chair umpire, following the practice currently in use at both the American Grand Slam and the Australian Open.
This technology is slated for use on Centre Court and Court One throughout the tournament and on the other four featured courts when they are hosting singles matches.
This move arrives only a season following the AELTC rolled out ELC, which effectively ended the 147-year role of line officials.
Scope of Challenges
Players cannot to challenge the call of the electronic line calling, but are allowed to request the umpire to re-examine other situations, such as:
- If a ball has double-bounced.
- If a shot made contact with an rival's racket or body during play.
- Possible hindrance end of a rally.
Notably, there is no limit on the amount of reviews a competitor can ask for.
A Recent Example
An illustrative case took place in a recent tournament last week, where a top player initiated the review system against his opponent.
Draper conceded it was a tough call for the umpire, but thought his opponent had "played the rules effectively."
The umpire watched a replay and determined the player was responsible for hindrance, granting the point to his opponent.
Wider Implementation
This technology are not new for Grand Slams. It has been in use at the US Open for two years and the Australian Open this year.
Additionally, it is becoming more common on the WTA circuit, and by next season the men's ATP Tour plans to have video reviews implemented at every one of its tournaments.
Other Changes
A further change at Wimbledon this year involves the addition of graphical cues on scoreboards to complement the audio calls from the electronic line calling system.
This solves situations where spectators have occasionally been unsure if a shot was out or in.
Finally, with precisely a century of days to go until the beginning of the tournament, organizers have further revealed an increase in daily capacity at the qualifiers in the qualifying venue.
