The tournament joins the American and Australian Opens in utilizing video review technology.
Replay systems will make its debut at Wimbledon in the upcoming tournament.
Players will gain the option to question specific rulings made by the official, mirroring the system currently in operation at each of the American Grand Slam and the Australian Open.
The new system will be accessible on the main stadium and the number one court throughout the Championships and on the other four show courts when they are hosting singles contests.
This development comes just a year after the AELTC rolled out electronic line calling, which brought an end to the longstanding tradition of line officials.
Reviewable Decisions
Players cannot to dispute the accuracy of the electronic line calling, but they can ask for the umpire to re-examine specific decisions, including:
- Whether a tennis ball has double-bounced.
- If a ball made contact with an opponent's racquet or body during play.
- Possible hindrance end of a point.
Notably, there is no cap on the number of reviews a competitor can request.
Practical Application
A recent case occurred in a recent tournament recently, where a top player used the review system against his opponent.
The British player conceded it was a tough call for the official, but thought his opponent had "played the rules quite well."
Official Aurelie Tourte viewed a video and ruled the player was responsible for interference, granting the point to his opponent.
Growing Trend
Video reviews aren't exclusive to major tournaments. It was adopted at the US Open for two years and the Aussie Open this year.
Additionally, it is becoming more common on the women’s WTA Tour, and by the coming year the ATP circuit will have the system in place at all of its tournaments.
Additional Innovations
Another innovation at The Championships this year involves the introduction of graphical cues on scoreboards to complement the verbal announcements from the electronic line calling system.
This addresses situations where fans have occasionally been uncertain whether a ball was out or in.
Finally, with precisely a century of days remaining until the start of the tournament, organizers have further revealed an increase in daily capacity at the qualifying competition in Roehampton.
