Wimbledon Introduces Video Review System This Season.
Wimbledon will follow the US and Australian Opens in employing replay systems.
Video review technology are set to arrive at The Championships in the upcoming tournament.
Players will gain the ability to challenge certain decisions made by the chair umpire, mirroring the protocol currently in use at both the American Grand Slam and the Aussie major.
The new system is slated for use on Centre Court and Court One throughout the tournament and on the remaining featured courts when they are hosting singles matches.
This move follows just a year after the All England Club implemented ELC, which effectively ended the centuries-old tradition of line judges.
Scope of Challenges
Players will not be permitted to dispute the accuracy of the electronic line calling, but they can request the umpire to review specific decisions, including:
- If a tennis ball has bounced twice.
- Whether a ball made contact with an opponent's racquet or body on the way past.
- Potential interference at the conclusion of a point.
Importantly, there will be no cap on the amount of challenges a competitor can request.
Case in Point
An illustrative incident took place in a recent tournament last week, where a top player used the review system against his opponent.
The British player conceded it was a difficult situation for the umpire, but believed his opponent had "played the rules quite well."
The umpire watched a replay and determined Draper was responsible for hindrance, awarding the rally to Medvedev.
Broader Adoption
Video reviews are not exclusive to major tournaments. It has been in use at the US Open for two years and the Aussie Open this year.
Additionally, it is increasingly prevalent on the WTA circuit, and by next season the ATP circuit will have video reviews implemented at all of its events.
Other Changes
Another innovation at The Championships this year involves the introduction of visual indicators on displays to support the verbal announcements from the electronic line calling system.
This solves situations where fans have sometimes been uncertain if a ball was in or out.
In other news, with precisely 100 days remaining until the start of the tournament, organizers have further announced an expansion in daily capacity at the qualifiers in Roehampton.
