The tournament joins the US and Australian Opens in utilizing video review systems.
Video review systems are set to arrive at Wimbledon in the upcoming tournament.
Players are granted the option to contest particular rulings from the chair umpire, echoing the protocol currently in operation at each of the American Grand Slam and the Australian Open.
This technology 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 contests.
This step arrives only a season following the All England Club introduced ELC, which brought an end to the longstanding tradition of line officials.
Reviewable Decisions
Competitors will not be permitted to challenge the accuracy of the ELC system, but are allowed to request the official to re-examine specific decisions, including:
- If a tennis ball has bounced twice.
- Whether a ball touched an opponent's racquet or person during play.
- Possible interference at the conclusion of a rally.
Importantly, there will be no cap on the amount of reviews a competitor can request.
Practical Application
An illustrative case took place in a recent tournament recently, where a top player used the review system against Jack Draper.
Draper conceded it was a tough call for the umpire, but thought his opponent had "played the rules effectively."
The umpire watched a video and determined the player was guilty of hindrance, awarding the point to his opponent.
Growing Trend
Video reviews aren't new for Grand Slams. 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 men's ATP Tour plans to have video reviews in place at all of its tournaments.
Other Changes
Another innovation at Wimbledon this year involves the introduction of visual indicators on scoreboards to complement the audio calls from the ELC system.
This solves situations where fans have sometimes been uncertain if a shot was in or out.
Finally, with precisely 100 days remaining until the beginning of the Championships, the AELTC have further announced an expansion in daily capacity at the qualifiers in Roehampton.
