Martina Hingis [Images] has never been hindered by self-doubt or lack of confidence but even she accepts the odds are stacked against her making it back to the top of women's tennis.

The former world number one is under no illusions about her prospects after deciding to rejoin the professional circuit more than three years after she retired because of chronic injuries.

Her comeback at next week's Australian Open has dominated the build-up to the first Grand Slam of the year but the 25-year-old has been careful not to make any bold predictions.

"I haven't set any goals because I just don't know," she said. "I just want to play, see where I'm at and that's pretty much it."

Hingis won the Australian Open in 1997, 1998 and 1999 but has not taken a Grand Slam title since. She won Wimbledon and the U.S. Open in 1997 and made the final in Melbourne in 2000, 2001 and 2002 but lost each time.

Her last defeat in Australia accelerated her decision to retire later that year as she squandered four match points in a three-set loss to Jennifer Capriati [Images] played in scorching heat.

"If you lose in the final having four match points I don't think that's too bad. But I only remember the good things, that's all you want to remember," she said.

The writing was already on the wall for Hingis before her initial retirement. She had compensated for her lack of height and brute strength with superb court craft, excellent timing and an indomitable will.

But the emergence of the Williams sisters, Serena and Venus, and the inevitable increase in power tennis set her decline in motion, making her decision to come back even more unusual.

The early signs have not been encouraging. She was knocked out of the semi-finals of the Australian women's hardcourt championship by Italian Flavia Pennetta in her first event back.

Then she was thrashed in straight sets on Monday by Justine Henin-Hardenne in the opening round of the Sydney International, a tournament she had won three times before.

She had no problems with the foot and ankle injuries that forced her into retirement but her comparatively slow serve was once again exposed as Henin-Hardenne reeled off a succession of winners.

"Once you've been the best... there are no seconds but I know what I'm aiming for now," she said.

"I need more matches and to be patient. That's the way you learn. Either you progress or you don't but I know what I have to work on now.

"My game used to be dependent on me and not on somebody else so I have to work on that.

"But I don't want to hide. I'm a competitor, I want to give it a bigger fight."

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