The tournament joins the US and Australian Opens in implementing replay systems.
Video review systems are set to arrive at The Championships in the upcoming tournament.
Athletes are granted the right to question particular decisions from the chair umpire, echoing the protocol currently in use at each of the American Grand Slam and the Aussie major.
This technology will be accessible on the main stadium and the number one court throughout the Championships and on the remaining show courts when they are hosting singles contests.
This step arrives only a year after the All England Club rolled out ELC, which brought an end to the longstanding role of line officials.
What Can Be Reviewed?
Competitors cannot to dispute the accuracy of the electronic line calling, but they can request the official to review other decisions, including:
- Whether a ball has bounced twice.
- If a shot made contact with an opponent's racquet or person on the way past.
- Potential hindrance at the conclusion of a point.
Notably, there is an unlimited number on the number of reviews a competitor can request.
A Recent Example
An illustrative case took place in a recent tournament last week, where a top player used the video challenge against Jack Draper.
The British player admitted it was a difficult call for the umpire, but believed his opponent had "played the rules quite well."
The umpire viewed a replay and ruled Draper was responsible for hindrance, granting the point to Medvedev.
Broader Adoption
Video reviews aren't new for major tournaments. The system was adopted 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 men's ATP Tour will have the system in place at every one of its events.
Additional Innovations
A further innovation at The Championships this year will be the introduction of graphical cues on displays to support the verbal announcements from the ELC system.
This solves instances where fans have occasionally been uncertain if a ball was out or in.
Finally, with exactly a century of days to go until the beginning of the tournament, the AELTC have further revealed an expansion in daily attendance at the qualifiers in the qualifying venue.
