NEW HAVEN — At 30 years of age, with three Grand Slams, 13 years on the WTA tour and enough silverware in the trophy case to make a jeweler blush, Lindsay Davenport doesn't have much left to prove to the tennis world.

And with two bulging discs in her back that had turned getting out of bed into an arduous process, few would have faulted the California native for hanging up her racket. But Davenport, the defending Pilot Pen women's champion, still felt she had a lot left to prove to herself.

"It's been so much fun trying to come back from my injury without any outside pressure," Davenport said Friday. "My husband doubted that I'd enjoy it, but I think I am."

For Davenport, the problems began in April when she had to withdraw from the Amelia Island (S.C.) event, where she was the two-time defending champion. Subsequently, she remained at home in California with her Rottweilers, watching both the French Open and Wimbledon on television.

"I found myself only watching the men," Davenport said. "It wasn't easy because I wanted to be out there."

Davenport took her rehab slowly and heavily considered her post-tennis career in the process, noting how she wanted to be able to enjoy an active lifestyle in the future.

She hit tennis balls for the first time in nearly four months during the first week in July. The problem wasn't hitting balls — she hit them as clean as ever. It was moving laterally to hit said balls.

"If

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you hit them right at me, I was money," she said.

She attempted to play at JPMorgan Chase Open at Los Angeles during the first week of August, but dropped her first match to Samantha Stosur in three sets.

Yet she remained undaunted.

"(The Pilot Pen) was my target date from early July," said Davenport, who wants to get in some matches prior to the U.S. Open in less than two weeks. "It was always in the back of my mind."

Despite her lengthy time on the shelf, Davenport remained ranked No. 10 in the world. This week at the Pilot Pen she'll have to hit the ground running, where she'll be joined with six other of the world's top 10. She opens with No. 24 Katrina Srebotnik of Slovakia in the first round.

Then there's the chance she could face top-seeded Amelie Mauresmo, whom she defeated in the 2005 final, as soon as the quarterfinals.

"When I saw the field, I was like, 'Wow I'm lucky to be seeded,'" the 2000 Australian Open champion said.

Davenport arrived in New Haven Friday morning and said she didn't feel any ill effects from the five-hour flight from Los Angeles. She seemed in good spirits and noted she brought her mother along for the trip.

"It's been a long interesting road back," Davenport said.

The Davenport file

WHO — Lindsay Davenport WHAT — Defending Pilot Pen champion AGE — 30 HOMETOWN — Laguna Beach, Calif.

NOTABLE — Three Grand Slam titles (1998 U.S. Open, 1999 Wimbledon, 2000 Australian Open) 51 career singles titles $21,549,902 career prize money 1996 Olympic gold medalist Ranked No. 1 at the end of 1998, 2001, 2004 and 2005

QUOTABLE — "I think I'll know on the court, 'This is it.' '' — Davenport on retirement.

— MIKE CARDILLO