Davenport delights in unexpected return to Indian Wells

A year ago, the then-pregnant Californian visited the event after announcing her retirement to begin what she had presumed to be a life of the ex-sports star turned millionaire wife and mother.

 But just hanging around the grounds of the desert Tennis Garden began to plant the seed of an idea which eventually blossomed into an unforeseen return to the game last autumn just three months after the birth of son Jagger.

 Since trying her luck at Bali in September and winning that title, the 31-year-old Davenport has lifted three more trophies - Quebec City last November, Auckland in January and Memphis last month. Her only letdown was a second-round Australian Open exit against Maria Sharapova.

 "I'm so excited to come back, I've never been shy about this being one of my favourite tournaments for so many reasons," said Davenport, currently ranked 36th.   

   "It was the first one I ever played professionally, I had my first date with my husband there one year.

 "And last year when I was there it was really the first time I began thinking that maybe I would want to come back. Begin there and missing it was the first step in me thinking about coming back."   

   Davenport, biggest all-time earner in the women's game with nearly 22 million dollars in prize money, called the event 200 kilometres east of Los Angeles "my hometown tournament, even though it's two hours away."

   These days, Davenport travels to her WTA event with nine-month old Jagger and a nanny as baby backup support.

 But after several months of stress-free behaviour from the little one, the new mum admits that her toddler is becoming more of a handful by the week.

 "It's getting a little tougher (to travel with him). I like to joke that I flew with him home from Melbourne. It was just him and me for 14 hours.

 "I was fine. And then flying a three-hour flight (in February to Memphis)  with my nanny and Jagger in his own seat was way more difficult. That was only a month later."

   So far, the bouncing baby boy has taken a star turn in every trophy photograph featuring his mum.

 Davenport's best showing at Indian Wells was the 2005 final, which she lost to Belgian Kim Clijsters, now a new mum herself with no plans at all to return to the tennis wars.

 Davenport is making few long-term plans, perhaps still surprised at the luck she has enjoyed during her comeback. "I never thought I'd have such a long career and be able to kind of make it last so long and still be successful at the same time," she admitted.

 "I'm very proud of that. This year is just kind of all really a blessing, to get to go back to my favourite tournaments and to get to experience it one more time.

 "I have no idea what will happen in 2009. I'm approaching this year like this is such and added bonus for me to play Indian Wells and the Grand Slams, to play in front of fans that I've grown up with.

 "Tennis takes such a huge back seat now to overall daily life and what happens when I'm not practising.

 "I used to take like really good care of my body, have free time, stretch, try and relax. Now I've got him full time, worried about him, trying to get errands done.

 "You cannot be a tennis player and be a mother and be selfish anymore. In that regard, it takes my mind off tennis."

   Women begin play on Wednesday with seeds and the men's field going into action later in the week.

 World number one Justine Henin is skipping the event, with the draw headed by Serbia's world number two Ana Ivanovic and compatriot Jelena Jankovic plus Russians Svetlana Kuznetsova and Australian Open champion Sharapova.

By Bill Scott, dpa