Wimbledon 2011: Amazon queens of the court ready to rule all over again

But is it really that astonishing?

The furthest either got in the warm-up event at Eastbourne last week was the quarter-finals, where Venus eventually succumbed in three sets to Daniela Hantuchova. But those were merely the first steps of a comeback for the duo who have dominated women's tennis for more than a decade. The elder sister, who struggled with a knee injury last year, then missed four and a half months of action this year due to hip and abdominal injuries, still beat players ranked 11th and 18th in her first two matches, while Serena had been absent from the WTA tour since she triumphed in last year's Wimbledon final.

After stepping on a broken glass, she required surgery and had to deal with a haematoma and a pulmonary embolism. But now she is back and, while it was obvious that she was slightly rusty and lacking match fitness at Eastbourne, Friday's Wimbledon draw has offered her the opportunity to sharpen up as she works her way through the draw.

While Venus did better at Eastbourne, the path seems clearer for Serena and, even half-fit, she should be good enough and powerful enough to safely negotiate the opening few rounds with, arguably, the first real test coming in the quarter-finals, where in all likelihood French Open winner and No 3 seed Li Na will await.

In her 11 appearances at the All England Club Serena has only twice failed to make the last eight and, if she can maintain that record, by then the four-times champion will have regained her footing on grass.

Many have lauded the return of these two Amazons, claiming the sport needs them, their ability to attract the headlines and their competitive edge on the courts.

"I think women's tennis needs that dominating figure," said fellow American Andy Roddick last week as he savoured the idea of a Serena return after almost a full year, "and I don't think it would shock anybody if she came through and won it again. I think I speak for most people in tennis, you want her in the game for so many reasons, not only because she wins and she's a great champion, but, you know, she creates that buzz and brings pop culture to tennis. She has crossover appeal and creates storylines."

But, when the spotlight Serena attracts is shone on the women's game, the flaws are exposed. What does it say about the rest of the field that a player can take a year out and still come back and threaten to dominate? And it's not that much of a long-shot. She has toyed with the game before, taken lengthy sabbaticals to follow fashion and business interests, only to dip her toe back in, win titles and regain her status at the top of the rankings.

After playing just four events in 2006 she returned with a bang in 2007. Ranked No.81 in the world back then, she went into the Australian Open rusty, struggling and overweight.

"Nothing can change the fact that she remains less than half the player she once was back when she could scramble, charge the net, and hit fabulous winners from a full stretch. No one played quite like her before, and no one has since, but she isn't that player anymore," said the New York Sun. She went on to win her third title in Melbourne, dismantling top seed Maria Sharapova in the final.

That comeback is not an isolated case either. Kim Clijsters, who would have been one of the few fancied to derail the Williams' Wimbledon comeback had she not withdrawn injured, took two years off to have a child but then returned, winning the US Open in only her third event back, swatting the new generation aside. The fact she was able to follow that up with another US Open win last year and the Australian Open title this year, simply adds credence to the belief that the crop of players who rose to the top in her absence had little durability, mentally or physically.

At Wimbledon last year, Serena beat Maria Sharapova, Li Na and Petra Kvitova before she trounced Vera Zvonareva in the final. All without dropping a set. Since then Li has won the French Open and, if she can't derail Serena in the quarter-final, World No.1 Caroline Wozniacki or Maria Sharapova are expected to be waiting in the semis. But the bookies still reckon she can negotiate that hurdle. "It would be monumental in my mind if Serena pulled off a win," said Chris Evert. "I don't know how it's humanly possible for someone to take a year off like that and have gone through what she's been through physically. It would almost shock me if she [won], but you can never count her out."

On paper her sister has a tougher draw but the bookies are cushioning themselves just in case.

It would make a bewitching tale but the problem facing the women's game is that, while it doesn't need the embarrassment of another veteran comeback where half-fit, under-rehearsed sluggers make a mockery of what existed without them, tennis does need the Williams sisters to add flavour and attract interest from a wider audience.