Singapore — New mother Serena Williams will lack some of her trademark intimidation factor when she returns to tennis, US great Chris Evert says, warning that the 23-time Grand Slam winner may find her comeback tough. Williams, who gave birth to a baby girl in September, has said she is planning to defend her title at the Australian Open in January, four-and-a-half months after becoming a mother. But Evert said standards in women’s tennis had risen in 2017 since Williams stepped off the tour, warning that the 36-year-old would be returning to a more competitive environment. "I think that this whole year, the level has gone up because Serena hasn’t been dominant and the other players have all felt that they had a shot at the No1 ranking," Evert said. "I think that because of that challenge, they have improved in the physical and the mental part of it because they’ve all had a shot at it and they’ve pushed each other and that’s why there have been so many different winners. So, I thin...
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