Kimmy returns?

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Did an interview last week with one of my old Belgian friends, a longtime tennis reporter, and he was quizzing me about Kim Clijsters’ decision to play World TeamTennis this summer in St. Louis.

The interview was fun. Told him that World TeamTennis was a low-key, glorified exhibition, a good way to ease back into competitive action for the new mother, Clijsters. He asked me what St. Louis was best known for. (Suppose I could have mentioned Andy Murray and the St. Louis Blues but that might have been confusing because we both covered Andy Murray, the tennis player.)

Me: Well, there’s the Arch.

Him: What is the Arch?

Gotta see it to truly understand it.

My suggestion was that this was a first step for the 25-year-old Clijsters to ease her way out of her 2007 retirement, to eventually rejoin the WTA Tour in some capacity. She is holding a news conference Thursday, and she is expected to announce that she will play in the U.S. Open. Officials in Carson have already e-mailed her and asked whether she would consider playing in that event as a warm-up tournament.

-- Lisa Dillman