THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
LONDON -- In town for a tennis tournament, Lindsay Davenport strolled amid the shops and tea houses of Wimbledon village lugging her one-year-old son, accompanied by her husband and looking very much at home.
She should: This is Davenport's 13th visit to Wimbledon, although it's her first since 2005. This is the latest stop in her career comeback after leaving the women's tour in late 2006 to have her first child.
"This is my favourite Slam of them all -- because of the relative low-keyness," she said. "I love staying where we can walk to the club and have nice quiet dinners.
"I'm an American, but the U.S. Open is a much more hectic lifestyle and pace. This one is much more serene."
There's sure to be big roar for Davenport, however, when she takes the court for her first match Tuesday. She's been popular at the All England Club ever since winning the tournament way back in 1999, when she was 23.
She was a finalist two other times and hasn't lost before the quarter-finals since 1997, which suggests she's a threat this year even at 32.
Seeded 25th, Davenport figures her grass-court experience gives her an edge.
"It's a surface you're always a little scared on because you don't play on it that much," she said. "Once you get used to it after the first few days, you feel a little better.
"Knowing most girls don't excel on grass, I try to take that into account -- that if you are the more aggressive player, you'll be successful. Typically it takes someone a few years to learn to like it. That's what I bank on."
However, rust could be an issue when Davenport plays her first match in two months against Renata Voracova in the opening round.
Davenport skipped the European tournaments on clay, her least-favourite surface, then withdrew before the Wimbledon warmup event in Eastbourne, England because of a minor injury.
"I wanted to play last week, but I had a little tweak in my knee and wanted to be careful so I could for sure play here at Wimbledon," she said. "There's definitely a little rustiness. Hopefully I can work that out in the first round or two."
The three-time Grand Slam champion has flirted frequently with retirement in recent years. Will this finally be her last appearance at Wimbledon?
"I've been through that so many times," she said with a laugh. "At a certain point it will be. I'm 32 with a one-year-old -- probably, but we'll see."
DOUBLING UP : The doubles team of Venus and Serena Williams will make a comeback at Wimbledon.
The sisters have combined for doubles in only three tournaments since Wimbledon in 2003. Their most recent title was the 2003 Australian Open, the sixth Grand Slam title for the partnership.
"We always love playing doubles," Venus said Sunday. "We haven't been able to play for so long. We've had issues. We were injured and-or sick. Whatever it was, we just had issues."
The sisters hope to play doubles together at the Olympics in Beijing. They combined to win gold medals at Sydney in 2000.
PRE-TOURNAMENT BUZZ : A swarm of guests without tickets descended Sunday on the All England Club: bees.
Hundreds buzzed a patio area for players, as well as the main walkway between practice courts and the locker room. Two security guards cordoned off the area, and a worker wearing netted headgear sprayed the insects.
American Wayne Odesnik encountered them on his way to practice.
"At first, I didn't know what it was, and then I was swamped by bees," he said. "I was trying to run through them."
Frenchman Arnaud Clement decided not to walk through the area.
"Of course not," he said with a smile. "It is dangerous."
TRADITION LOVER : Andy Roddick says he enjoys the U.S. Open, which he describes as "a free-for-all, wild and crazy thing." But he also enjoys Wimbledon, where the atmosphere is much more subdued.
"I love all the traditions," said Roddick, a two-time runner-up. "I love the all-white. I love the no-play on the middle Sunday. I love the stuff growing on the side of the walls. ... They meant for that to be there, right?"
Ivy on the Centre Court wall is indeed a staple at the All England Club.
And what's the worst thing about Wimbledon?
"The worst thing?" Roddick said. "That I haven't won it yet."
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