WTA: “The strength in depth is better now”, but not the overall level – Match Points excerpt

In the latest edition of Match Points, former Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli and journalist Simon Cambers discuss the strength of the current WTA Tour.

Though Bartoli says that some players – Serena Williams, Victoria Azarenka, Naomi Osaka, Simona Halep and Petra Kvitova have no weaknesses, when they are on their best form, too many of the current generation have big holes in their game, making them more vulnerable than 20 years ago.

“When you (play against an opponent) in the top 10, you have a clear game-plan,” Bartoli says. “(As a coach) you say to your player, ‘Well, if you play (a certain) way, you are most likely going to win the match. Because there is a (weakness in the opponent’s game). Whenever I used to play against Justine Henin or Kim Clijsters, there were no weaknesses. You enter the court and you’re like, ‘What am I supposed to do to win the match?’

“(Now) you have clear weaknesses. It can be movement, forehand, backhand, serve; whatever, you name it. And if you play on that, you’re most likely to win the match. It was not the case at all before…. I believe technically the girls are less sound than before.”

“The strength in depth in the women’s game is better now than it was 25 years ago”

Cambers said he feels that the overall women’s Tour is far stronger overall than it was a generation ago.

“The strength in depth in the women’s game is better now than it was 25 years ago,” Cambers says. “Twenty-five years ago you would cruise through the first, second, and third rounds of slams. Then you had the really big guns to take care of, which was obviously very difficult because you had a number of No 1s spread out over 10, 15 years. That was a great era in terms of the top level of the sport. I just think now you have more players who are capable of doing well in Grand Slams than you did before.”