Serena Williams returns to tour next week at Eastbourne

[marmar]

LONDON -- Serena Williams is returning to the tour after nearly a year off because of various health issues.

Williams will begin her comeback at a grass-court tournament in Eastbourne, England next week. She then will defend her title at Wimbledon, which begins June 20.

Williams has not played an official match since winning her 13th Grand Slam title at the All England Club last July.

A few days after that victory, Williams cut her foot on glass at a restaurant. She wound up having two operations because of that and later was treated for a blood clot in her lung. ............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/tennis/news/story?id=6633453

[a kennedy]

1. hip hip hooray!!! so glad she's back......

:applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause:

[tishaLA]

2. I saw pics of her on the beach

A couple weeks ago and she's terribly out of shape even by her standards. Coming back on grass might allow her to get a few rounds deep into the tournament because the matches are short and her power will be an advantage, but the moment she plays someone who can handle her power and move her around--and there are lots of them now--she's done.

[a kennedy]

3. D*mn, I hate when she isn't in good physical shape.....I now

get to hear about it from the "talking heads" like Mary Carillo and Mary Jo Fernandez, ugh..... just can not stand when they go on and on about how out of shape she is, and how her commitment to tennis isn't what it should be, blah, blah, blah. I mute the sound most of the time because of them.

[a kennedy]

4. speaking of Carillo and Fernandez.....how many single titles

did they win??? Not to many as far as I can see.....mostly in doubles did they amount to much. Just saying.......

[tishaLA]

5. but Chris Evert has also criticized her for it

And whatever one might think of Evert, her record in singles is pretty great.

[Awsi Dooger]

8. I tried that rationalization a few years ago

In this choking mess of a women's field, Serena can prevail even when she outweighs a buffalo, always a 50/50 proposition.

[bigwillq]

6. YAY!!

:bounce:

[muriel_volestrangler]

7. She lost the first 5 games, but went on to win

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tennis/13766509.stm

Bound to be a bit rusty after a year without competitive tennis.

[MaineDem]

9. She got a high seed for Wimby but...

...lost at Eastbourne today.