Wimbledon will follow the American and Aussie Opens in employing replay technology.
Replay systems will be launched at Wimbledon in the upcoming tournament.
Athletes will gain the right to contest particular calls from the chair umpire, mirroring the protocol already in place at each of the American Grand Slam 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 remaining show courts when they are hosting singles matches.
This move comes just a season following the All England Club introduced electronic line calling, which effectively ended the 147-year tradition of line judges.
What Can Be Reviewed?
Players will not be permitted to dispute the call of the electronic line calling, but they can request the official 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 end of a point.
Importantly, there will be no limit on the amount of reviews a player can request.
A Recent Example
A recent incident occurred in Indian Wells recently, where a top player initiated the video challenge against his opponent.
The British player admitted it was a tough call for the official, but thought his rival had "used the regulations effectively."
Official Aurelie Tourte viewed a replay and determined Draper was guilty of hindrance, awarding the rally to Medvedev.
Growing Trend
Video reviews are not exclusive to Grand Slams. It was adopted at the US Open for two years and the Australian Open this year.
Furthermore, it is becoming more common on the women’s WTA Tour, and by the coming year the ATP circuit will have the system implemented at all of its tournaments.
Other Changes
A further innovation at Wimbledon this year involves the introduction of graphical cues on scoreboards to support the verbal announcements from the electronic line calling system.
This addresses situations where fans have sometimes been unsure if a shot was out or in.
In other news, with precisely a century of days to go until the start of the tournament, organizers have further revealed an increase in daily attendance at the qualifying competition in Roehampton.
