The tournament joins the US and Aussie Opens in employing video review technology.
Video review technology will be launched at Wimbledon this year.
Competitors are granted the option to contest certain decisions from the official, echoing the practice already in operation at both the US Open and the Aussie major.
The new system is slated for use on the main stadium and Court One for the duration of the tournament and on the other four featured courts when they are hosting singles matches.
This step arrives only a year after the AELTC rolled out ELC, which effectively ended the longstanding role of line judges.
Reviewable Decisions
Players cannot to dispute the call of the electronic line calling, but are allowed to ask for the umpire to re-examine other situations, including:
- Whether a ball has bounced twice.
- Whether a shot touched an rival's racket or body during play.
- Potential interference at the conclusion of a point.
Importantly, there is no limit on the amount of reviews a player can ask for.
Case in Point
A recent incident took place in Indian Wells last week, where a top player initiated the video challenge against his opponent.
The British player admitted it was a difficult call for the official, but thought his rival had "played the rules effectively."
The umpire watched a replay and determined the player was guilty of hindrance, granting the point to Medvedev.
Growing Trend
This technology are not exclusive to Grand Slams. The system was adopted at the US Open for two years and the Australian Open this year.
Additionally, it is becoming more common 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 innovation at The Championships this year involves the addition of graphical cues on displays to complement the verbal announcements from the electronic line calling system.
This addresses instances where spectators have occasionally been uncertain if a shot was in or out.
Finally, with precisely 100 days to go until the beginning of the Championships, organizers have also revealed an increase in daily attendance at the qualifying competition in the qualifying venue.
