Wimbledon will follow the US and Aussie Opens in utilizing video review technology.
Video review systems are set to arrive at Wimbledon in the upcoming tournament.
Competitors are granted the ability to question particular calls made by the official, echoing the practice already in use at both the US Open and the Aussie major.
The new system is slated for use on the main stadium and Court One for the duration of the tournament and on the remaining featured courts when they are hosting singles matches.
This step arrives only a season following the All England Club rolled out electronic line calling, which effectively ended the longstanding tradition of line officials.
Scope of Challenges
Players cannot to challenge the accuracy of the electronic line calling, but they can ask for the official to re-examine specific situations, including:
- If a tennis ball has bounced twice.
- Whether a shot touched an rival's racket or body on the way past.
- Possible interference at the conclusion of a rally.
Notably, there is no limit on the amount of challenges a competitor can request.
Practical Application
An illustrative incident took place in Indian Wells recently, where a top player used the review system against Jack Draper.
The British player admitted it was a tough call for the umpire, but thought his rival had "used the regulations quite well."
Official Aurelie Tourte viewed a video and determined Draper was responsible for hindrance, granting the point to Medvedev.
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 becoming more common on the WTA circuit, and by the coming year the ATP circuit will have video reviews implemented at all of its events.
Further Updates
Another innovation at The Championships this year involves the addition of visual indicators on scoreboards to complement the audio calls from the electronic line calling system.
This solves situations where spectators have occasionally been unsure if a shot was out or in.
Finally, with exactly a century of days to go until the start of the tournament, organizers have also announced an expansion in daily capacity at the qualifiers in Roehampton.
