Summary Serena Williams insists she is fit and ready for a tilt at a seventh Australian Open title.
MELBOURNE (AFP) - World number one Serena Williams insists she is fit and ready for a tilt at a seventh Australian Open title, downplaying a knee injury that forced her out of the Hopman Cup.
The world number one retired due to soreness in her left knee during a singles match on January 6 at the mixed-team tournament in Perth, casting doubt over her ability to defend her title at the opening Grand Slam of the season.
But the 34-year-old told the Melbourne Herald Sun she was "ready for it".
"My body is feeling great now," she said.
"Obviously I had a hiccup but right now it is doing much better. I ve had a few days of training so it s looking good."
The 34-year-old, who battled knee problems in the latter half of 2015 and has barely played since October, trained at Melbourne Park on Monday.
"I know what I need to do on and off the court to win big tournaments," she added to the newspaper late Monday. "That is what I like to do."
At the time of her retirement in Perth, Williams said: "I just have some inflammation that s been going away very slowly.
"It s still there, it s going away, but just needs a little more time. A little rest, a little treatment."
Melbourne Park has been a happy hunting ground for the American 21-time major winner.
She won the Australian Open for the first time way back in 2003, and made it title number six last year when she toppled arch-rival Maria Sharapova in the final.
Williams owned women s tennis in 2015, winning three Grand Slams (Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon) and triumphing in 53 of the 56 matches she played.
She was on track for a rare calendar-year Grand Slam until she was beaten by Italian Roberta Vinci in the US Open semi-final in early September, before bringing an early halt to a season that took a heavy physical toll.
