Monday, July 31 2006 16:04 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

San Diego: France's Mary Pierce makes her comeback after six months of injury drama when she plays at the San Diego WTA tournament starting Monday.

The 31-year-old Frenchwoman last competed when she lost the final at the Paris indoors in mid-February to countrywoman Amelie Mauresmo.

While Pierce was returning, a trio of American former world No. 1 players were pulling out. Lindsay Davenport, another long-term absentee, plus Venus and Serena Williams all withdrew Friday, citing injury worries.

Davenport, who has not played since mid-March when she lost to Martina Hingis at Indian Wells, has been troubled by chronic back pain.

Venus Williams, ranked 24th, and her No. 109 sister also joined the stampede to the gates, with reports of ankle and knee worries respectively.

"I'm training and rehabilitating and look forward to being back on the WTA as soon as possible," read a statement from Venus.

Serena, whose only event since a first-round Australian Open defeat in January was a minor Tier IV event in Cincinnati this month, has reportedly been advised by her doctor to not compete.

"I regret that I'm unable to play as it's a tournament I have really enjoyed," read the Williams statement.

"I'm just coming back from injury and my doctor has advised me against playing too much too quickly," she said.

"This is frustrating as I am eager to improve my ranking and play more tennis, but it is something I must do," she said.

Serena insists that she will be fit for an event next month in Los Angles as well as the US Open starting August 28.



Kim Clijsters, who is defending title victories at three preliminary hardcourt events as well as the 2005 US Open, takes the top seeding with a bye into the second round.

Clijsters was upset in the quarter-finals a year ago by China's Shuai Peng.

Second seed Maria Sharapova, who will play for the first time since her Wimbledon semi-final loss to Mauresmo, has pronounced herself injury-free for the summer cement circuit. Russians take three of the top four seedings, with Nadia Petrova and Elena Dementieva following Sharapova on third and fourth respectively.

Hingis will take her career comeback onto the hard courts as she plays the tournament for the first time since reaching the 2001 semi-finals.