Lindsay will not retire

leftys_rock · Lindsay will not retire

Davenport will be back

Former No. 1 plans to play 7-8 events

By Charles Bricker
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Posted November 5 2006

DELRAY BEACH· No more speculation about Lindsay Davenport's immediate future. She's not retiring.

She's not planning to play more than seven or eight tournaments in 2007, including three of the four Grand Slams. But, she said Saturday, she'll be out there.

At age 30, Davenport understands there are no guarantees that the knees, the back, the shoulder or various other body parts she's beaten up over an iconic 15-year career won't be aggravating her again.

But right now she's fine.

"I haven't played since mid-September, but I plan to start training in late November and be at the Australian Open," she said Saturday when she came off the court at the annual Chris Evert/Raymond James Pro-Celebrity Tennis Classic.

"I feel great. It's been a tough year with the injuries, but otherwise I feel really good."

What fuels speculation about Davenport's future is her personal history. She's won three majors, finished runner-up in four others, been No. 1 and won 51 tournaments. All that and she's married and very interested in having children.

What more is there for her out there on a Sony Ericsson WTA Tour that has become such a grind that CEO Larry Scott is promising to shorten the season by several weeks by 2009?

"Well, scientifically, I've got until 35 to get started on that," said Davenport, laughing slightly as she contemplated motherhood. "So I've got a little time there."

And the grind? "I can't put my finger on it," she said. "I just still like to play and I enjoy working toward something. I get home [to Laguna Beach, Calif.] and I can't wait to start again."

She played eight tournaments this year, interrupted constantly by injuries. She was going to play the back-to-back big events in March-April at Indian Wells, Calif., and Key Biscayne, but had to pull out of South Florida.

Then she decided to skip all clay court events entirely, including the French Open, because her body wouldn't hold up through the longer points.

Injuries lingered on through Wimbledon and, to compound her problems, she woke up one morning at home in June and passed out, smacking her head against the hardwood floor of her bedroom.

"I fainted and got a concussion and whiplash. They did all these tests on my brain and decided it was just low blood sugar. It was so scary," Davenport said.

She seemed fine at the U.S. Open and, when she swept past Patty Schnyder into the quarterfinals, it was enough to make you fantasize about a 30-something run to another Slam title.

And then, her right arm began going dead, from the fingers to the shoulder. "Apparently it all stemmed from my neck from the fall," she said.

Going out 6-4, 6-4 to Justine Henin-Hardenne ended her drive for a fourth major, but it didn't end her desire to keep playing. She may have wondered out loud in a few news conferences if she really wanted to push on in 2007, but all that is settled now.

Scott and a number of WTA tournament directors don't like the idea of name players pulling out of events, but no one is going to chastise Davenport over playing an abbreviated schedule. They're smart enough to just be happy she's still out there.

"I don't really understand all the expectations on our players having to be in all these tournaments," Davenport mused. "Tiger Woods pulls out of a tournament and it's not a big story, and he doesn't even say he's injured. He just wants to rest.

"We pull out and it's nothing but negative press."

After the Australian, her plan is to play Tokyo, then both Indian Wells and Key Biscayne, Wimbledon and perhaps a lead-up to Wimbledon, one tournament before the U.S. Open and then the Open. It's not much, but for Davenport's legion of fans, it beats retirement.

x.doublea

It's too bad she's only playing in seven-eight tournanments, but at least she's contuing! Very Happy

pacomexican

Good i don't want to see her leave yet Very Happy

dav6789

Great news that she is continuing but her decision to play this small number of events tells me she is not taking it as seriously as she could be. If she worked hard during the off season and got back into the shape she was in this time last year, she could easily play the schedule she has done for more than a decade (Sydney, A.Open, Pan Pacific, Scottsdale (now Dubai for her), Indian Wells) at the start of the season. I'm disappointed she has already said she is playing these few events. Her ranking is bad enough as it is. Playing Hong Kong is just pointless for her. Sydney would make alot more sense.

stevos14

And the grind? "I can't put my finger on it," she said. "I just still like to play and I enjoy working toward something. I get home [to Laguna Beach, Calif.] and I can't wait to start again."

Lindsay is a great person, I really like her.

I understand why she would play so little, I didn't even expect that much out of her. She is getting pretty old, and I think she might even make a surprise run to the USO title!

J-man

I'm glad she is not retiring. I'd like to see her win a Major at the UsOpen. *Let's cross our fingers* maybe in 2007 Divine

leftys_rock

I think she's prepping as much as she can to make one last run at a GS. Probably Wimbledon or US Open. However, it's going to be very difficult for her to blast through a GS with a sub-25 ranking! Imagine, Davenport-Mauresmo/Sharapova/JHH in the third round! Shocked

But anyway, I wish the best for her and hope that she can rack up a title or two next year! Very Happy

x.doublea