The tournament joins the US and Australian Opens in employing video review systems.
Video review technology will make its debut at Wimbledon in the upcoming tournament.
Athletes will gain the ability to contest certain calls made by the official, mirroring the system currently in use at both the American Grand Slam and the Aussie major.
This technology will be operational on the main stadium and the number one court throughout the tournament and on the other four show courts when they are staging singles matches.
This move follows just a year after the AELTC rolled out ELC, which effectively ended the longstanding role of line judges.
What Can Be Reviewed?
Competitors cannot to challenge the call of the electronic line calling, but are allowed to request the official to review other decisions, including:
- If a ball has double-bounced.
- If a shot made contact with an opponent's racquet or person during play.
- Possible interference end of a point.
Notably, there will be an unlimited number on the number of reviews a player can initiate.
Case in Point
An illustrative case occurred in a recent tournament recently, where a top player initiated the review system against Jack Draper.
Draper admitted it was a difficult situation for the umpire, but believed his opponent had "used the regulations effectively."
The umpire watched a video and determined Draper was guilty of hindrance, granting the point to Medvedev.
Broader Adoption
This technology are not new for Grand Slams. The system has been in use 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 ATP circuit plans to have video reviews implemented at every one of its tournaments.
Other Changes
Another change at Wimbledon this year will be the addition of visual indicators on displays to complement the verbal announcements from the electronic line calling system.
This solves situations where the crowd have sometimes been uncertain whether a shot was in or out.
Finally, with precisely 100 days remaining until the start of the Championships, organizers have also announced an expansion in daily capacity at the qualifiers in Roehampton.
