Wimbledon Embraces Video Review System This Season.
Wimbledon will follow the US and Australian Opens in implementing video review systems.
Video review technology will be launched at The Championships this year.
Competitors are granted the right to contest particular rulings made by the chair umpire, mirroring the practice currently in use at each of the American Grand Slam and the Australian Open.
This technology will be operational on Centre Court and Court One throughout the tournament and on the other four show courts when they are staging singles contests.
This step comes just a season following the AELTC introduced ELC, which brought an end to the centuries-old tradition of line officials.
Scope of Challenges
Players cannot to challenge the accuracy of the ELC system, but they can request the official to review specific decisions, such as:
- If a ball has double-bounced.
- Whether a ball touched an rival's racket or body on the way past.
- Potential hindrance at the conclusion of a point.
Notably, there is no limit on the number of challenges a player can initiate.
A Recent Example
An illustrative incident took place in Indian Wells recently, where a top player initiated the review system against his opponent.
Draper admitted it was a difficult situation for the umpire, but believed his opponent had "used the regulations effectively."
Official Aurelie Tourte watched a video and determined the player was guilty of interference, awarding the rally to Medvedev.
Wider Implementation
Video reviews aren't exclusive to Grand Slams. It was adopted at the American major for two years and the Australian Open this year.
Furthermore, it is becoming more common on the WTA circuit, and by the coming year the ATP circuit plans to have the system implemented at all of its events.
Other Changes
Another change at The Championships this year will be the addition of graphical cues on displays to support the audio calls from the electronic line calling system.
This solves instances where the crowd have sometimes been unsure if a ball was in or out.
Finally, with precisely 100 days remaining until the beginning of the tournament, organizers have further revealed an increase in daily attendance at the qualifying competition in Roehampton.
