‘Old biddy’ Baltacha welcomes the threat of Britain’s rising young stars

At 27, the self-declared ‘old biddy’ is battling to stay ahead of teenager Heather Watson, who broke into the top 100 for the first time after qualifying and then winning a round in the main draw at the French Open.

The 19-year-old Watson, a former US Open junior champion, has her sights set much higher and everything she has achieved so far suggests she will get there.

Watson’s path has been a marked contrast to the route Baltacha took. The Scot finally made the top 100 in 2009 after almost a decade of trying. Illness and injury struck cruel blows and her late blossoming has been a triumph of determination.

Baltacha and Anne Keothavong, also 27, have been at the forefront of women’s tennis in Britain for more than 10 years, but the Londoner has had her own injury problems and their peaks have come at different times. A knee injury halted Keothavong’s progress when she was looking to push well into the top 50, and she is still battling to recover form and confidence more than a year later.

Competition is therefore something that has been distinctly lacking in British women’s tennis, and Baltacha warmly welcomes it.

Baltacha, who won in Nottingham recently, said: “You look at other nations and they’ve got 10 or 20 really fighting to be No 1. But it’s all getting better.

“Me and Heather reached the second round at the French, that hasn’t been achieved in many years, and hopefully that will really inspire the juniors, get them to think, ‘One day that can be me’, and hopefully we’ll get more players battling for that.”

Baltacha is already looking to greater depth in the women’s game beyond her career with the setting up of an academy in her home town of Ipswich for girls from deprived areas

“With the academy we’ve got some girls there now who always inspire me when I go back,” said Baltacha, who makes her 11th appearance at Wimbledon.

Watson’s maiden match victory at a grand slam at Roland Garros not only gave the teenager a taste for success, it also provided proof she is capable of mixing it with more established players as she moved into the world’s top 100.

“I can definitely compete in the future,” Watson said after losing to No 16 seed Kaia Kanepi in Paris.

Laura Robson grabbed the nation’s attention in 2008 when she lifted the Wimbledon girls’ title aged just 14. Now 17, Robson begins the fortnight with fresh impetus having parted with her coach Patrick Mouratoglou on the eve of the championships.