Davenport eager to return to Games arena

By Mark Lamport-Stokes

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The excitement is beginning to build for former world number one Lindsay Davenport as next month's Beijing Games inch closer.

The 32-year-old American made the Olympics her top priority when she returned to the WTA Tour last September after an 11-month absence to have a baby.

Davenport had to withdraw from the second round of Wimbledon last month after struggling with a knee injury in her opening match, but she is confident she will be fit for Beijing and her third appearance in global sport's showpiece.

"I'm really excited about Beijing," Davenport said during a World TeamTennis conference call on Wednesday. "It was my huge goal coming back from having my baby.

"I really wanted to be in Beijing and be a part of my country and the athletes and the success hopefully that the country will share. I'm proud to represent tennis and be an American and hopefully try and bring some medals back."

Davenport, who won the singles title at the Atlanta Games in 1996, will represent the United States in Beijing along with Serena and Venus Williams and doubles specialist Liezel Huber.

Davenport said her knee was getting better and that she had been following her doctor's orders to limit her activity.

"I've got a big summer ahead so I've got to be careful with it. I want it to heal 100 percent before delving back in full time," she added.

"I'm doing my rehab and trying to get it better. So far it's responded well but I haven't tested it too much yet."

Davenport, a former Wimbledon, U.S. Open and Australian Open champion, conceded the injury was the legacy of a professional career that began 15 years ago.

OLD KNEE

"The diagnosis is just an old knee that's played too many tennis hours," she said. "That's just it. Nothing looks crazy on any of the scans.

"So for the doctors that I saw at Wimbledon and my doctor here, it's basically right now all about resting it and trying to get it better."

Davenport, who gave birth to son Jagger last June before mounting a WTA Tour comeback, would dearly love to make a triumphant return to the Olympics in Beijing.

She competed at the Sydney Games in 2000 but opted to miss out on Athens four years later to focus on the U.S. Open.