Kim Clijsters is not the sort of woman to let things get her down. Injuries and personal problems have dogged the former world number one over the last year but Clijsters has re-emerged smiling ahead of next week's Wimbledon.
The Belgian is taking a cautious approach though, and says she still needs time to get back to her old self.
Clijsters has yet to regain full movement in her left wrist, after surgery a year ago, and putting topspin on a backhand causes problems.
Not that it hampered her in her first match back on grass for two years, on her debut at the Eastbourne WTA tournament this week.
Clijsters emerged a 6-1, 7-6 winner over Serbian Jelena Jankovic and then declared that she is not ready to give up doing the splits.
The splits? Well, mother Els is a former junior champion gymnast so it is perhaps no surprise that Clijsters has made the splits one of her trademarks on court.
The move contributed to a knee injury in Berlin which derailed her preparations for this year's French Open but Clijsters does not intend to change her style.
"I have been doing the splits for 10 years, my whole career. I don't give up that easily just over one bad thing," Clijsters smiled on Tuesday.
DISAPPOINTING LOSS
Clijsters fully admits she was under-prepared for the French Open, where she lost in the fourth round to American Lindsay Davenport after taking the first set 6-1.
"Losses like that motivate me more," said Clijsters, three times a Grand Slam singles finalist but never a champion.
"It was a disappointing loss because I felt like I was controlling the match and then it slipped out of my hands. That motivated me to come here, train hard and try to find my game again."
Having watched last year's Wimbledon from the crowd, with a cast on her wrist, she was determined to be better prepared for the grasscourt season.
"This is definitely a Wimbledon I am looking forward to," said Clijsters who arrived in Eastbourne a week early to get grasscourt practice and celebrated her 22nd birthday in the seaside town.
Clijsters's golden year was 2003 when she reached the finals of the French and US Opens, made the semi-finals at the Australian Open and Wimbledon and won the season-ending championships for the second time.
She also won doubles titles with Japan's Ai Sugiyama at Roland Garros and Wimbledon.
Last year began equally well with an appearance in the final at the Australian Open but then came the injury and surgery to remove a cyst and repair torn tendons in the wrist.
She also had to suffer the break-up of her long-standing relationship with Australian player Lleyton Hewitt.
TOUGHER TIME
Her comeback in April this year was spectacular, with back-to-back title wins in Indian Wells and Miami. Then came the knee injury.
"When I came back after my injury everything just fitted into place at Indian Wells and Miami. I felt so controlled in the rallies and I was moving really well," said Clijsters.
"Now I am going through maybe a tougher time by getting used to all that again. My game is not very consistent like it used to be.
"When I went to Paris it was 17 months since my last Grand Slam and there were a lot of Belgian media and a lot more attention.
"That is something you forget about when you are at home watching all the Grand Slams on TV. That was something I had to get used to again but I was very happy to be back and to be part of it all."
While she is happy to be moving well again, Clijsters plays down her own chances at Wimbledon this year.
"I have to be realistic and the rest of this year is probably going to be very tough," she said.
"My goal is to try to make the end-of-season championships then we will see next year because I haven't really had the time to train or prepare properly. There has always been a little injury."
