The tournament joins the American and Aussie Opens in utilizing video review technology.
Video review systems will make its debut at Wimbledon this year.
Players will gain the ability to question particular calls from the chair umpire, mirroring the system currently in operation at both the American Grand Slam and the Aussie major.
This technology is slated for use on Centre Court and the number one court throughout the tournament and on the other four show courts when they are staging singles matches.
This step follows just a year after the AELTC implemented ELC, which effectively ended the 147-year role of line judges.
Scope of Challenges
Competitors cannot to dispute the accuracy of the ELC system, but are allowed to ask for the official to review other situations, such as:
- If a tennis ball has bounced twice.
- Whether a shot touched an opponent's racquet or body on the way past.
- Potential hindrance at the conclusion of a rally.
Importantly, there is an unlimited number on the amount of reviews a player can request.
Practical Application
An illustrative incident took place in Indian Wells last week, 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 "played the rules quite well."
Official Aurelie Tourte watched a replay and ruled the player was responsible for interference, awarding the rally to Medvedev.
Broader Adoption
Video reviews aren't new for major tournaments. It has been in use at the American major for two years and the Aussie Open this year.
Additionally, it is increasingly prevalent on the WTA circuit, and by next season the ATP circuit plans to have video reviews implemented at every one of its tournaments.
Additional Innovations
A further innovation at The Championships this year involves the addition of graphical cues on displays to support the audio calls from the ELC system.
This solves instances where the crowd have sometimes been uncertain if a shot was out or in.
In other news, with exactly 100 days to go until the start of the Championships, organizers have also revealed an expansion in daily capacity at the qualifying competition in Roehampton.
