Wimbledon will follow the US and Australian Opens in employing replay systems.
Replay systems will make its debut at Wimbledon in the upcoming tournament.
Competitors will gain the option to challenge certain rulings from the official, mirroring the protocol currently in use at each of the US Open and the Aussie major.
This innovation will be operational on Centre Court and Court One for the duration of the Championships and on the other four featured courts when they are staging singles matches.
This step arrives only a year after the All England Club implemented electronic line calling, which terminated the 147-year tradition of line officials.
Reviewable Decisions
Competitors cannot to challenge the call of the electronic line calling, but they can request the official to re-examine other situations, such as:
- If a tennis ball has double-bounced.
- If a shot touched an opponent's racquet or body during play.
- Potential interference at the conclusion of a point.
Importantly, there is no limit on the amount of challenges a competitor can request.
A Recent Example
An illustrative incident took place in a recent tournament recently, where Daniil Medvedev used the video challenge against his opponent.
The British player conceded it was a tough call for the umpire, but thought his opponent had "used the regulations quite well."
Official Aurelie Tourte watched a video and determined Draper was guilty of interference, granting the point to his opponent.
Growing Trend
Video reviews are not new for major tournaments. The system has been in use at the US Open for two years and the Australian Open this year.
Furthermore, it is increasingly prevalent on the women’s WTA Tour, and by the coming year the ATP circuit will have video reviews in place at all of its tournaments.
Other Changes
A further change at Wimbledon this year involves the addition of graphical cues on displays to complement the verbal announcements from the electronic line calling system.
This addresses instances where fans have sometimes been uncertain if a ball was out or in.
In other news, with exactly 100 days to go until the start of the tournament, the AELTC have also announced an expansion in daily attendance at the qualifying competition in Roehampton.
