Davenport pulls out, hints at retirement

Source: Agencies  |   2008-6-27  |     NEWSPAPER EDITION

FORMER champion Lindsay Davenport hinted she could have played her last match at Wimbledon after she pulled out yesterday with a right knee injury.

The American, winner at the All England Club in 1999, had been due to face Argentina's Gisela Dulko in the second round but after struggling with her knee in her opening match, she did not want to risk any further injury.

"After my match a couple days ago, I went to the hospital and did an MRI...it just showed I had some inflammation and some fluid behind the kneecap," said Davenport, who had her knee heavily strapped on court on Tuesday. "It was just really inflamed and painful."

Davenport hobbled past Renata Voracova 6-3, 5-7, 6-3 in her opening match.

"I rested all day yesterday and did treatment. After warming up, I felt like I was 25, maybe 30 percent. That's not good enough for a second-round match."

She had been idle for two months after sitting out the claycourt season and had pulled out of a grasscourt warmup tournament at Eastbourne last week due to the same problem.

Davenport was seeded 25th despite playing only seven tournaments this season in her comeback after leaving the women's tour in late 2006 to have her first child, a son named Jagger.

It was her 13th visit to Wimbledon and could be her last.

Asked if she would be back next year, she paused and said: "I guess not. It did come into my mind today that it is my last chance to play here."

Davenport said she expected to be sidelined for up to four weeks, with scans showing she would not require surgery.

Now she's hoping to be fit in time for the Beijing Olympics and wants to have another shot at the US Open after that.