Wimbledon Introduces Video Replay Technology for the First Time.
The tournament joins the American and Australian Opens in implementing replay technology.
Video review technology will make its debut at The Championships this year.
Athletes are granted the right to contest particular decisions from the chair umpire, mirroring the system already in use at each of the American Grand Slam and the Australian Open.
This technology will be accessible on Centre Court and Court One for the duration of the tournament and on the remaining featured courts when they are hosting singles contests.
This step comes just a year after the All England Club rolled out electronic line calling, which terminated the centuries-old tradition of line officials.
Reviewable Decisions
Competitors will not be permitted to dispute the call of the ELC system, but they can ask for the umpire to re-examine specific situations, including:
- Whether a tennis ball has bounced twice.
- Whether a shot touched an rival's racket or person during play.
- Potential hindrance end of a point.
Importantly, there is no limit on the amount of reviews a competitor can ask for.
A Recent Example
An illustrative case took place in Indian Wells last week, where a top player initiated the review system against his opponent.
Draper conceded it was a difficult call for the official, but thought his rival had "used the regulations effectively."
Official Aurelie Tourte viewed a replay and determined the player was responsible for interference, awarding the point to his opponent.
Wider Implementation
Video reviews aren't new for major tournaments. 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 next season the men's ATP Tour will have video reviews implemented at all of its tournaments.
Other Changes
A further innovation at The Championships this year will be the introduction of visual indicators on displays to complement the audio calls from the electronic line calling system.
This solves instances where fans have sometimes been uncertain if a shot was in or out.
In other news, with exactly 100 days to go until the start of the tournament, the AELTC have further revealed an increase in daily capacity at the qualifying competition in the qualifying venue.
