The tournament joins the US and Australian Opens in utilizing video review systems.
Video review systems are set to arrive at The Championships this year.
Players are granted the ability to question certain calls from the chair umpire, mirroring the system already in place at each of the US Open and the Australian Open.
This technology will be accessible on Centre Court and the number one court throughout the Championships and on the other four featured courts when they are hosting singles contests.
This development arrives only a season following the All England Club rolled out electronic line calling, which effectively ended the 147-year role of line judges.
What Can Be Reviewed?
Competitors cannot to dispute the call of the electronic line calling, but are allowed to request the umpire to re-examine other situations, such as:
- Whether a tennis ball has double-bounced.
- Whether a ball made contact with an rival's racket or body during play.
- Possible interference end of a rally.
Notably, there is no limit on the number of challenges a player can request.
Practical Application
A recent incident occurred in Indian Wells last week, where Daniil Medvedev used the review system against his opponent.
The British player conceded it was a difficult call for the official, but thought his rival had "used the regulations quite well."
Official Aurelie Tourte watched a video and determined Draper was guilty of interference, granting the rally to his opponent.
Growing Trend
Video reviews are not exclusive to Grand Slams. The system was adopted at the American major for two years and the Australian Open this year.
Additionally, it is increasingly prevalent on the women’s WTA Tour, and by the coming year the ATP circuit plans to have video reviews implemented at every one of its events.
Other Changes
Another change at The Championships this year will be the addition of visual indicators on displays to complement the audio calls from the ELC system.
This addresses instances where spectators have occasionally been uncertain if a shot was in or out.
In other news, with exactly 100 days to go until the beginning of the tournament, organizers have also revealed an expansion in daily attendance at the qualifying competition in Roehampton.
