Are tennis stars a leading light for the women's game?

After reading Hannah Wilks' soapbox piece in The Times today (July 7, sport p2 - "The women's game is not equal to the male version. It's actually far superior") it strikes us here at WC that our fair game could learn a lot from the lawns, clay and asphalt of tennis tournaments around the globe.

Even under the historical wood, iron and climbing vines of Wimbledon, the women have put themselves on an even keel with their male counterparts, but can we say the same at Lord's quite yet?

The key aspect is that, apart from the same prize-money, a large amount of strong competitors and crucially the same amount of media coverage as the men, they are always striving for more - in particular, equal recognition.

Although women's cricket is not at the same level in comparison, the fighting attitude of WTA professionals is right at the heart of why the sport has already become equal to the men's game. The players lead the way, and sections of the media (eg BBC) follow, all the way from the first round to a glitzy final.

Another strand to this view has to be the fact that tennis is global, but cricket is still struggling to cement itself in continental pastures new. Audiences and support in the US for example give a huge boost to women's football and women's tennis, as networks like ESPN dedicate swathes of journalists to covering the female side of various disciplines.

But progress is being made here in England, more T20s are a useful way of promoting women's cricket as part of 'double-header' packages for fans coupled with men's county clashes, but we need should not dilute the quality for the premise of quick media gains.

It took female tennis players a long time to get where they are now, but in the end it has been the quality of the sport - not gimmicks - that has seen them through, and it has been worth it.

As an experienced tennis writer, Wilkes stands up for the female side of her sport with gusto - cricket could do with some steely advocates of its own to promote and move forward the women's game for the long term.

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