The tournament joins the US and Aussie Opens in employing replay systems.
Replay technology are set to arrive at The Championships in the upcoming tournament.
Competitors will gain the right to challenge certain rulings made by the official, following the system already in place at both the American Grand Slam and the Australian Open.
This innovation is slated for use on the main stadium and Court One throughout the Championships and on the other four featured courts when they are hosting singles contests.
This step follows just a year after the All England Club rolled out electronic line calling, which brought an end to the longstanding role of line judges.
Reviewable Decisions
Competitors will not be permitted to challenge the accuracy of the ELC system, but are allowed to ask for the umpire to re-examine specific decisions, including:
- If a ball has bounced twice.
- Whether a ball touched an opponent's racquet or body during play.
- Possible hindrance end of a point.
Notably, there will be no cap on the amount of challenges a competitor can request.
Practical Application
An illustrative incident took place in a recent tournament last week, where a top player used the video challenge against his opponent.
Draper conceded it was a tough call for the official, but believed his rival had "used the regulations effectively."
The umpire viewed a replay and determined the player was responsible for interference, granting the rally to his opponent.
Growing Trend
Video reviews aren't exclusive to major tournaments. 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 women’s WTA Tour, and by the coming year the men's ATP Tour plans to have the system implemented at all of its tournaments.
Further Updates
Another innovation at Wimbledon this year involves the introduction of graphical cues on displays to complement the audio calls from the electronic line calling system.
This solves instances where fans have occasionally been uncertain whether a shot was out or in.
In other news, with exactly 100 days to go until the start of the Championships, the AELTC have also announced an increase in daily capacity at the qualifying competition in Roehampton.
