The Swiss prodigy was forced to quit tennis in 2002 aged just 22 with a foot injury.

She said on Friday she would use the Volvo Women's Open in Pattaya, starting January 31, as a test of her fitness.

"The tournament is a test. I don't know how my body will react," she told Switzerland's [Images] Le Matin newspaper.

"I was a bit rusty, in the beginning, with some small pains in my calf at times. But that is part of the game.

"The state of my preparation is a question of mental preparation above all."

Master tactician Hingis, who aged 16 became the youngest player to be crowned world number one, was given a wildcard into the Pattaya tournament as part of her charity work in the region and its low-key status suits her fine.

"I support several charities in Thailand. I'm also playing to see where I am," the winner of five grand slam titles said.

"At Pattaya there will not be as many people and the players are ranked between 30th and 95th in the world."

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Current world number one Lindsay Davenport [Images] says she is enjoying the view from the top so much she is shelving plans to retire any time soon.

The 28-year-old American, who plays at the Sydney International next week, believes she is in form to chase a fourth grand slam title to add to the 2000 Australian Open, 1999 Wimbledon and 1998 U.S. Open.

"Finally I felt I put myself in a position to try and win Grand Slams again," she said this week, having hinted at retirement in 2004.

"It didn't pan out last year but I feel like my game is there, so it would be tough to walk away when I felt like I could really contend for those titles.

"I really feel that way right now, so there's no point in hanging it up quite yet."

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