The sport of tennis is getting dramatically older in numbers. Professional players are competing late into their thirties but the birth of young stars remains constant. Belgian’s Elise Mertens is one in a plethora of talent trying to make a name on the WTA. Having experienced success in her teenage years on the juniors circuit, Mertens is at the stage of her career where she is transitioning onto the main tour.
Why Elise Mertens could be dangerous on the faster courts
Mertens is an unknown quantity on the main tour and now, at 20 years of age, her focus will be on making an impact against the senior players in women’s tennis. She possesses the attributes of a classy tennis player – with a dangerous forehand and a potentially good first serve. It can be argued that the world #150 fits the profile of a player that can equip themselves well on a faster-paced tennis surface – like the grass courts of Wimbledon. Another valid explanation as to why Mertens is a tough opponent at this stage of her career, is the fact she can play with no feeling for the consequences of her results. Yes, every player wants to win every match, but she can play with no expectation until she makes a breakthrough on a larger stage.
The Belgian’s forehand is reminiscent of many great players that have graced the Wimbledon grass in recent years. When recollecting successful grass court players in recent memory, the likes of Serena Williams, Garbine Muguruza and Petra Kvitova all expressed power tennis at it’s finest. It is too early to predict whether Mertens has the mentality for the highest level, but what is evident is her undeniable confidence coming into these grass events. The Wimbledon juniors quarter-finalist played one of the matches of her life to beat Eugenie Bouchard in Rosmalen last week. She dropped just two games in a straight sets win. Making the quarter-finals from qualifying in Rosmalen, signified the biggest impact that Mertens has had on the WTA Tour to date.
Breaking down Elise Mertens game
Although her game has many positive features, there are certain limitations that creep into her game. There is a great disparity between the forehand and the backhand. Her backhand needs a lot of time and preparation, whereas her forehand is dangerous from all areas of the court. That is an area she has to address, knowing that better players will exploit the weaker wing of Mertens when she rises up the rankings. The movement of Elise Mertens also has flaws, but if she manages to dictate the majority of her points then she can replicate what tall players like Garbine Muguruza have done against the very best.
Wimbledon wild card imminent for the Belgian?
Following an outstanding result in Rosmalen and now a great showing in Mallorca, is it time that Elise Mertens gets rewarded for her performances with a Wimbledon wildcard? It will be an interesting series of events if Mertens does manage to get that recognition for her results. Her game is very pleasing to watch when she catches fire.
It remains undecided whether Elise Mertens has what it takes to make it at the highest level, but what is for certain is that she has the talent to rise inside the top #50 by the end of the 2016 tennis season.
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