Listen up tennis bettors, because, while the season is done for 2007,
recent rumblings in the media and astonishing announcements have all
but assured the upcoming 2008 Tennis Season will be compelling—giving
sports bettors, who have not yet discovered the joys of tennis
betting, some added incentive to turn to tennis handicapping in the
new year.

The recent revelations I allude to are in women's singles tennis—the
most surprising of which, is the suggested comeback of former
top-ranked player Monica Seles. Seles, who celebrated her 34th
Birthday on Sunday, announced she is toying with a return to the WTA
tour in 2008.

The nine-time Grand Slam Winner will play in an exhibition event— the
first Bank of the West Pro-Celebrity Tennis Classic—in Los Angeles on
Saturday. At the charity event that raises money for an organization
that funds youth orientated charities, Seles will be joined by other
former tennis stars including Jennifer Capriati and Carling
Bassett-Seguso.

The last tournament Seles competed in was the 2003 French Open—an
event she had triumphed in three consecutive times (1990-1992)—but
after losing in the first round to Nadia Petrova, Seles did not return
to singles action that year.

The 2003 season saw Seles start the year at the Australian Open, but
hindered by an ankle sprain, Seles was abruptly eliminated in the R64
by the then No. 113 Klara Koukalova 6-7(6), 7-5, 6-3. In February,
Seles bounced back with a runner-up finish at the Tokyo Pan Pacific
(lost to Lindsay Davenport 6-7(6), 6-1, 6-2), but the following week,
in Doha, Seles' woes continued as she was narrowly defeated in her
opening match 7-5, 7-5 by Lina Krasnoroutskaya, who at the time held a
ranking of No.96.

After crashing out of the Qatar Total Open, Seles followed up with run
to the Dubai Tennis Championships final, where she lost to Justine
Henin 4-6 7-6(4) 7-5. Over a month later, Seles made what was to
become her last deep run in a tournament, reaching the quarterfinal of
the Bausch &Lomb Championships, where she ironically suffered a second
consecutive loss to Justine Henin 6-2, 6-4.

By the time the French Open kicked off in 2003, Seles (who dropped in
ranking to No.12 from her year-starting ranking of No.7) was suffering
from lingering foot injuries and back injuries and her first round
loss to Petrova, who ranked No.76 in the World at the time, remained
to date her last singles match.

Seles never officially retired. She just faded away. All but retired,
Seles informally finished her career with 53 titles, of which nine
were major titles – four Australian Open titles (1991-93, and 1996),
three French Open titles (1990-92) and two US Open titles (1991-92).

In Serena and Venus Williams' inspiring 2007 comeback season, and
Lindsay Davenport's resurgence late this year—winning in Bali and the
Bell Challenge in Quebec City— Seles finds the catalyst for her
motivation to return to tennis. Of course, with the Australian Open
only a few weeks away, do not expect to see Seles trading
groundstrokes with either one of the Williams sisters or Davenport in
Melbourne; but by the time the tour enters the spring portion of the
WTA Calendar, should Seles indeed return to tournament action, her
debut is anticipated at that time. In fact, Seles herself pegged her
renaissance for March, at the Miami Sony Ericsson Open—a return after
five years of absence. Just in time, to warm-up for the 2008 French
Open! Mon Dieux! Is this is a blooming cause for concern for the
reigning queen of Roland Garros—Justine Henin?