The first Grand Slam tournament of 2007 in Australia is just around the corner and the women's tennis elite, as opposed to the men's where Roger Federer is in command - is wide open. Nobody knows what 2007 has in store but everybody knows the potential for an exiting year is there. One thing is certain, however, it will be a year of retirements and comebacks.

The newly-engaged Martina Hingis is back with a vengeance for her second year after a dream 2006. The Williams sisters, Venus and Serena, are playing again although no one really knows for how long and how committed they are to their tennis this time around. Lindsay Davenport, in her very own shy and laid-back way, announced that she is pregnant and that her tennis career is over, while one of the most-loved players on the women's tour, Kim Clijsters, will play one last year before ending a career that has, sadly, been plagued by injuries.

But what is really exciting is the next generation. A group of talented young players is ready to take the next step and show the world that for every star that falls, there is a new one ready to rise. Being a proud Israeli, the first name that comes to my mind is Shahar Peer. The 19-year-old from the small town of Maccabim-Reut finished 2006 ranked 20 in the world and makes our little country smile with joy.

Peer, the first native Israeli woman to make her mark on the international rankings (the first two being Russian-born Anna Smashnova and yours truly, born in Mexico), made her mark on the WTA Tour this past year, winning three titles and playing consistently well in the Grand Slams.

Dinara Safina is another young player making her way up the rankings. Younger sister of the effervescent Marat Safin, she is a very good player, although some say she shares the same problems and weaknesses as her older brother – inconsistency, a wild mind and touchy nerves that could hamper her way to the top.

German-born Czech resident Nicole Vaidisova is just 18, but she’s already ranked in the top 10 and another big hope for women's tennis. Another talented young player producing results is Holland’s Michaella Krajicek, the younger sister of former Wimbledon champion Richard Krajicek.

The talent is definitely there but for the first time in years, women's tennis might become boring. How can that be with so many new players around? Well, simple. The names are new, the looks are new and exciting but the tennis is all the same. Everyone bangs the ball from the baseline at 200km an hour, these girls have no idea where the net is and how to get there, the serve is in most cases just a means for starting off a rally and they all look like machines out of the same factory.

Don't get me wrong. The players aren't to blame, it's the coaches who are the sinners. They watch TV and see that the same old style is bringing results – so they teach the same tennis and use the same methods. You will rarely see a coach today trying to teach an eight, nine or 10-year-old girl how to hit a serve and run to the net, or at the very least approach the net when she gets a short ball.

No wonder Hingis's comeback was a breath of fresh air! The girl knows how to hit a ball, but she also knows when not to hit it – and that is much tougher to teach. The touch, the finesse, the lob when necessary, the angle; all those qualities instead of straight power over and over again are what make Hingis a delight to watch.

Let’s hope that the new kids in town in 2007, including our own Shahar Peer, give tennis much more than just new names in the next few years – and make it a whole new ball game for the spectators.

Do you find women's tennis boring or is Ilana Berger being unfair to the players? Sportingo welcomes your comments on this article.