Wimbledon will follow the American and Australian Opens in implementing video review technology.
Replay technology will be launched at The Championships this year.
Players will gain the right to question specific calls made by the official, mirroring the practice currently in place at each of the American Grand Slam and the Australian Open.
This technology will be operational on the main stadium and Court One throughout the Championships and on the remaining featured courts when they are staging singles contests.
This step arrives only a season following the All England Club rolled out electronic line calling, which brought an end to the 147-year role of line judges.
Reviewable Decisions
Players will not be permitted to challenge the accuracy of the ELC system, but are allowed to request the umpire to re-examine specific decisions, including:
- Whether a ball has bounced twice.
- If a shot made contact with an opponent's racquet or body during play.
- Possible hindrance at the conclusion of a point.
Importantly, there will be no limit on the amount of challenges a player can ask for.
Practical Application
A recent example occurred in a recent tournament recently, where a top player initiated the video challenge against his opponent.
Draper admitted it was a difficult call for the official, but believed his rival had "used the regulations quite well."
The umpire viewed a video and determined the player was responsible for interference, granting the point to Medvedev.
Growing Trend
This technology aren't new for Grand Slams. It was adopted at the US Open for two years and the Australian Open this year.
Furthermore, it is increasingly prevalent on the WTA circuit, and by the coming year the men's ATP Tour will have the system implemented at all of its events.
Additional Innovations
Another change at The Championships this year involves the introduction of graphical cues on scoreboards to complement the audio calls from the ELC system.
This solves instances where fans have occasionally been unsure if a shot was out or in.
In other news, with exactly 100 days to go until the beginning of the tournament, the AELTC have further revealed an increase in daily attendance at the qualifying competition in the qualifying venue.
