The tournament joins the American and Aussie Opens in employing replay technology.
Replay technology are set to arrive at Wimbledon this year.
Players will gain the ability to challenge particular rulings from the chair umpire, mirroring the system already in use at each of the American Grand Slam and the Australian Open.
This technology is slated for use on the main stadium and the number one court for the duration of the tournament and on the remaining featured courts when they are hosting singles matches.
This development follows just a season following the All England Club implemented electronic line calling, which effectively ended the longstanding role of line judges.
Scope of Challenges
Competitors cannot to challenge the accuracy of the ELC system, but they can ask for the official to re-examine other situations, such as:
- If a ball has double-bounced.
- Whether a ball made contact with an rival's racket or body during play.
- Potential interference at the conclusion of a point.
Notably, there will be no limit on the amount of challenges a player can ask for.
Case in Point
An illustrative incident occurred in a recent tournament last week, where Daniil Medvedev initiated the video challenge against his opponent.
The British player admitted it was a difficult situation for the official, but thought his opponent had "played the rules effectively."
The umpire viewed a video and determined the player was responsible for hindrance, awarding the rally to Medvedev.
Wider Implementation
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.
Additionally, it is becoming more common on the women’s WTA Tour, and by next season the ATP circuit will have video reviews implemented at every one of its tournaments.
Further Updates
A further innovation at The Championships this year involves the introduction of graphical cues on displays to complement the verbal announcements from the electronic line calling system.
This solves instances where the crowd have sometimes been uncertain if a ball was out or in.
In other news, with exactly 100 days remaining until the beginning of the tournament, the AELTC have also announced an increase in daily capacity at the qualifiers in the qualifying venue.
