Davenport considers returning to the court

WASHINGTON: New mother and former world No 1 Lindsay Davenport said on Tuesday she was considering a return to the tour.

The 31-year-old said last year that she could not imagine playing again but now when asked if she planned on returning to the WTA Tour, the three-times grand slam tournament winner said, "I hope so."

Less than six weeks after giving birth to her son Jagger, she is planning to play in a World Team Tennis match on Saturday in Sacramento.

"Things have healed really quickly," Davenport, who had a Caesarean section on June 10, told a teleconference. "I've had a great recovery.

"So since about two and a half weeks, I've been pretty active, been able to practise now the last week at a very high percentage. Glad there were no complications."

A gold medalist at the 1996 Olympics, Davenport said she would also like to play in the Beijing Games next year.

"I haven't made any final decisions yet," the Californian said of her tour aspirations. "But it's something kind of like a small goal in the back of my mind I'm working towards.

"As it went in the later part of my pregnancy, I thought if I stay healthy, it would be just great to be able to come back and play some as a mother.

"Hopefully things continue to go well and that can be possible."

Davenport, who left the tour at the end of last year, conceded it would be difficult juggling a tennis career with motherhood.

"The challenge I think for me is about trying to balance everything," she said. "I totally understand now the working mom's guilt.

"If I go out and practise, I feel bad about leaving him. If I'm home trying to do stuff, I feel bad cleaning up the house or whatever."

Davenport's WTT appearance will be her only event of the season for the Sacramento Capitals. She will probably only play a set or two.

"I think I'll be ready to do it," she said. "I looked at it as kind of a fun challenge to see if I could come back so quickly and give me a little kick in the pants to get back being active, being healthy."

Agencies

(China Daily 07/19/2007 page23)