Rivals queue up to test Hingis on her return

John Roberts in Paris on the French Open starting today

The centenary of women's tennis at the French championships, which start today, will be a celebration of youth, experience and the wonders of modern medical science, though not necessarily in that order.

Martina Hingis, at 16 the youngest ever world No 1, returns to competition for the first time for more than a month, thanks to arthroscopic surgery to her left knee, which she damaged in a fall from a horse.

Steffi Graf, the 27-year-old defending champion, has also recovered from a knee injury, the latest in a catalogue of physical problems which have interrupted the German's career. In spite of her ailments, Graf has amassed 21 Grand Slam singles titles, only three short of the record set by Margaret Court.

Graf holds the record for the most weeks at No 1 in a career, man or woman, of 374. She was supplanted at the top by Hingis eight weeks ago, since when both players have struggled to be fit for the French Open, where are they seeded to meet in the final.

It was only four years ago that Hingis became the youngest winner of a Grand Slam junior title, aged 12. She graduated to Grand Slam singles honours at the Australian Open in January this year - the youngest winner of one of the major titles this century - and is undefeated in 33 matches this year.

Although able to joke that she intends to wear a black knee support with a skull and crossbones motif to show how proud she is of her first injury - "I'm a real professional now" - there may be an underlying nervousness in the Hingis camp.

"As soon as I arrived here on Friday, I felt a little pressure because I saw all these players again," she said. "I felt like, 'Oh, my God, it's really starting, this tournament'.

"I have to think about what happened before," Hingis added, reminding herself that she also had long breaks between tournaments as a junior. "But this is completely different, a Grand Slam tournament, where I'm going to be seeded No 1 for the first time. This was my first Grand Slam title as a junior, and I always loved this tournament, so I hope that's going to help me."

It may also help if she recalls how badly she has missed the game. "I was crying a little. It was like a prison at home. I couldn't wait to play another tournament again. I'm going to try my best. If it works out, it's great. If it doesn't work out, there are so many other tournaments to play."

The day of the women's final, 7 June, also happens to be the 16th birthday of Anna Kournikova, the Florida-based Russian prospect. Kournikova, who recently defeated Arantxa Sanchez Vicario in the quarter-finals of the German Open, may be Hingis's third-round opponent.

Venus Williams, the 16-year-old American, is about to experience a series of firsts - her first Grand Slam tournament, her first tournament outside the United States, and her first tournament on clay.

It is possible that Williams will meet Monica Seles in the third round, although the towering American serve-volleyer may encounter difficulty in her opening match against Naoko Sawamatsu, of Japan. Seles, the No 3 seed, is projected to play Mary Pierce, of France, seeded No 10, in the fourth round.

Graf, who salvaged only one game against Amanda Coetzer at the Italian Open but gained revenge against the South African to win last week's event in Strasbourg, acknowledges that there is an air of unpredictability to this year's French Open.

"A lot of players have different kinds of problems," she said. "Arantxa hasn't been playing too well in the last few weeks, but she's still somebody you can never underestimate playing here in Roland Garros. She always has confidence playing here, as does Conchita [Martinez]. I've had a long break. Martina Hingis has had a few weeks of a break, but she's probably the one to most look out for. Mary Pierce has been playing well the last few weeks and is going to be a tough contender, as well as Jana Novotna."

Graf is something of an elder stateswoman here, having won the first of her six French singles titles in 1987, defeating Martina Navratilova in the final. Only two other players have won the title in the past decade, Sanchez Vicario, twice, and Seles, three times.

"During the period when I started, it was the reign of Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova," Graf recounted. "Certainly now, looking at this tournament, there are quite a few players that have a chance to win. This has definitely changed. It is good for women's tennis, no question."

As centenaries go, this one is rather tenuous. In 1897, Adine Masson won the first of her titles, but the French championships were restricted to residents until 1925, when Suzanne Lenglen defeated Britain's Kathleen McKane (Rene Lacoste defeated Jean Borotra in the men's singles).

Lenglen had turned professional by the time the championships moved to Stade Roland Garros, in 1928, the American Helen Wills defeating Britain's Eileen Bennett in the first women's final here.

n Tim Henman, the British No 1, said yesterday that his right elbow has felt better since undergoing anti-inflammatory treatment last week. Henman, the No 14 seed, plays Olivier Delaitre, a French wild card, in the first round tomorrow.

n Australia's Mark Philippoussis produced the fastest serve on record at the World Team Cup in Dusseldorf yesterday. Philippoussis sealed the first set of his match against Spain's Albert Costa with an ace which registered 229kph bettering his own mark of 228.5kph set in March.