The tournament joins the American and Australian Opens in employing video review technology.
Video review systems will be launched at Wimbledon this year.
Competitors are granted the right to contest certain rulings made by the official, following the system already in operation at both the American Grand Slam and the Aussie major.
This innovation will be operational on the main stadium and the number one court for the duration of the tournament and on the remaining show courts when they are staging singles contests.
This step follows just a season following the AELTC introduced ELC, which terminated the 147-year tradition of line officials.
Scope of Challenges
Competitors cannot to dispute the call of the electronic line calling, but are allowed to request the umpire to re-examine other decisions, including:
- Whether a ball has bounced twice.
- Whether a ball touched an rival's racket or person on the way past.
- Possible interference at the conclusion of a rally.
Notably, there will be an unlimited number on the number of challenges a player can request.
Practical Application
A recent incident took place in Indian Wells last week, where Daniil Medvedev used the video challenge against Jack Draper.
Draper admitted it was a difficult situation for the official, but thought his rival had "used the regulations effectively."
The umpire viewed a video and ruled the player was responsible for interference, awarding the point to Medvedev.
Wider Implementation
This technology aren't exclusive to Grand Slams. It has been in use at the US Open for two years and the Aussie 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 video reviews in place at every one of its events.
Other Changes
A further innovation at The Championships this year involves the introduction of visual indicators on scoreboards to complement the verbal announcements from the electronic line calling system.
This addresses instances where the crowd have occasionally been uncertain whether a ball was in or out.
Finally, with exactly 100 days to go until the start of the Championships, organizers have further revealed an increase in daily attendance at the qualifiers in the qualifying venue.
