The tournament joins the American and Aussie Opens in implementing video review systems.
Video review technology are set to arrive at Wimbledon this year.
Players will gain the ability to contest certain decisions from the official, following the protocol currently in use at each of the American Grand Slam and the Australian Open.
This technology is slated for use on Centre Court and Court One for the duration of the Championships and on the other four featured courts when they are staging singles contests.
This move follows just a year after the AELTC introduced electronic line calling, which terminated the longstanding tradition of line officials.
Scope of Challenges
Players cannot to challenge the accuracy of the ELC system, but they can request the umpire to review other situations, including:
- If a tennis ball has bounced twice.
- If a shot touched an opponent's racquet or body during play.
- Possible interference end of a point.
Notably, there is an unlimited number on the number of reviews a player can ask for.
Case in Point
An illustrative incident took place in Indian Wells recently, where a top player initiated the review system against Jack Draper.
The British player admitted it was a tough call for the umpire, but thought his opponent had "played the rules quite well."
The umpire watched a replay and determined the player was responsible for interference, awarding the point to his opponent.
Growing Trend
This technology are not exclusive to Grand Slams. The system was adopted at the American major for two years and the Aussie Open this year.
Additionally, it is becoming more common on the women’s WTA Tour, and by next season the ATP circuit will have video reviews in place at every one of its tournaments.
Other Changes
Another change at The Championships this year involves the addition of graphical cues on scoreboards to support the audio calls from the ELC system.
This solves situations where the crowd have occasionally been unsure whether a ball was out or in.
In other news, with precisely a century of days to go until the start of the tournament, the AELTC have further revealed an increase in daily attendance at the qualifying competition in Roehampton.
