The tournament joins the US and Australian Opens in employing replay systems.
Replay systems will make its debut at Wimbledon this year.
Players are granted the option to challenge certain rulings made by the chair umpire, mirroring the practice currently in operation at each of the US Open and the Aussie major.
This innovation will be accessible on the main stadium and the number one court throughout the tournament and on the remaining featured courts when they are staging singles contests.
This development arrives only a year after the All England Club implemented electronic line calling, which terminated the longstanding tradition of line judges.
Scope of Challenges
Players cannot to challenge the accuracy of the ELC system, but are allowed to request the umpire to re-examine other situations, including:
- Whether a ball has double-bounced.
- Whether a shot touched an rival's racket or person during play.
- Possible interference end of a rally.
Importantly, there is an unlimited number on the number of reviews a competitor can request.
Practical Application
An illustrative incident occurred in a recent tournament recently, where Daniil Medvedev initiated the review system against Jack Draper.
The British player admitted it was a difficult call for the official, but believed his opponent had "used the regulations quite well."
Official Aurelie Tourte watched a video and determined the player was responsible for hindrance, awarding the point to Medvedev.
Growing Trend
Video reviews are not new for major tournaments. It was adopted at the US Open 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 in place at all of its events.
Other Changes
Another innovation at Wimbledon this year will be the addition of visual indicators on displays to complement the verbal announcements from the electronic line calling system.
This solves instances where fans have sometimes been uncertain if a ball was out or in.
In other news, with exactly a century of days remaining until the start of the tournament, organizers have further announced an increase in daily attendance at the qualifiers in Roehampton.
