The tournament joins the American and Australian Opens in implementing video review systems.
Replay technology will make its debut at Wimbledon in the upcoming tournament.
Competitors will gain the option to contest certain decisions from the chair umpire, echoing the protocol currently in use at both the US Open and the Australian Open.
This technology will be accessible on the main stadium and the number one court for the duration of the tournament and on the other four show courts when they are hosting singles matches.
This step follows just a year after the AELTC rolled out ELC, which brought an end to the longstanding role of line judges.
Scope of Challenges
Players will not be permitted to challenge the call of the ELC system, but are allowed to ask for the umpire to re-examine other situations, including:
- If a ball has bounced twice.
- If a shot made contact with an rival's racket or person on the way past.
- Potential interference at the conclusion of a rally.
Notably, there will be no limit on the amount of reviews a competitor can request.
Case in Point
An illustrative example took place in a recent tournament recently, where a top player used the video challenge against his opponent.
The British player admitted it was a difficult call for the official, but believed his rival had "played the rules effectively."
Official Aurelie Tourte viewed a replay and determined Draper was guilty of hindrance, awarding the point to Medvedev.
Wider Implementation
Video reviews are not new for Grand Slams. It has been in use at the American major for two years and the Australian Open this year.
Furthermore, it is becoming more common on the WTA circuit, and by next season the men's ATP Tour plans to have the system in place at every one of its events.
Other Changes
Another innovation at The Championships this year involves the introduction of graphical cues on scoreboards to support the verbal announcements from the ELC system.
This solves situations where spectators have occasionally been unsure if a shot was in or out.
In other news, with exactly a century of days to go until the beginning of the tournament, the AELTC have further announced an increase in daily attendance at the qualifiers in Roehampton.
