Hungry for more.

Those were the words Kim Clijsters used to explain her decision to return to the WTA Tour.

That return will happen in Cincinnati in August and it will be widely anticipated by tennis fans across the world.

When Clijsters called it a day in May 2007 it would be hard to say there was a more popular player in the women's game and that is just one reason why it will be great to see the Belgian back on court.

Looking back, Clijsters made very few enemies - her smiling, positive attitude never looked anything but genuine - while barbed comments about opponents were extremely rare.

Always gracious in defeat, she was loved by the fans - Australians virtually made her one of their own after she began dating Lleyton Hewitt - while the media were always impressed by her readiness to talk. Doubtless tour officials were too.

Certainly she appears to score more highly with all those groups than some of her contemporaries.

Rightly or wrongly, the Williams sisters are far from loved by many tennis fans, while Clijsters' compatriot Justine Henin, who joined her in retirement last year, was such a steely competitor that she attracted negative press - remember her holding her hand up as Serena Williams served at the 2003 French Open and then being happy to take the point when the umpire failed to notice?

Perhaps in talking about Henin we discover the reason that Clijsters failed to get anywhere near her compatriot's achievements - it is argued in some quarters that Clijsters was too nice and lacked the true killer instinct.

For the record, Henin won seven Grand Slam titles to Clijsters' one.

That brings us to the chances of Clijsters upon her return. Can she replicate her 2005 US Open triumph? Will she be able to become world number one again?

History suggests it will be difficult, although it also predicts Clijsters is more than capable of at least challenging on the tour again.

Two famous examples of players who have returned to the tour after lengthy absences in recent years are Lindsay Davenport and Martina Hingis.

Hingis had more than three years away but when she returned she was back in the top 20 in next to no time, climbing as high as number six and reaching three Grand Slam quarter-finals.

Davenport, who like Clijsters gave birth during her time away, won her very first singles tournament back after a year out and also made it back into the top 30. However, she has not been able to challenge for a Grand Slam victory and is now pregnant again.

Personally I'd expect Clijsters to improve upon Hingis' efforts when she returns - provided she sticks it out.

It's hard to say the women's game has moved on a great deal in the past two years - with Henin now gone, the Williams sisters remain the players to beat - and Clijsters regularly got the better of the class of 2007.

She says she is "training like before again" so clearly is very serious about the comeback, or "second career" as she puts it.

I've already backed her to win on the WTA Tour before the end of 2010 at 11/8.

The one worry I have is that the return looks a good idea to her now, but won't come the autumn.

Clijsters admits she's unsure how things will go travelling the globe with daughter Jada in tow. Injuries also hit her hard durng that 'first career', those and the grind of the tour eventually sapping her enthusiasm.

For now all is good though. The return of Clijsters' famous sliding straddle and wide smile should be relished.

How do you think Clijsters will perform upon her return? And is coming back really a good idea? Email your feedback to: tennisfeedback@sportinglife.com