Copyright © 2015. No duplication is permitted without permission from Bob Larson Tennis.

Hong Kong drawcard Venus Williams is working to be ready to produce a solid week’s showing to help punch her ticket for a place in the WTA year-end wrap-up.

The American stands provisional ninth in the points chase to the year-ender starting October 25 in Singapore. It’s an event she has not qualified for since it was held in Doha six years ago.

After winning the Wuhan title eight days ago in a fast Asian autumn start, Williams then lost in the Beijing second round to Ana Ivanovic. But with her world No. 1 sister Serena having ended her season early after a frustrating US Open semi-final loss, the door is open for Venus to possibly sneak a spot in the eight-player Singapore field.

“This is it. This is my last tournament before the season-ending championship and my last chance to do well,” said Williams after arriving in Hong Kong. “Hopefully I can enter the top seven or eight (ranking, from her current 14th). But it’s not going to be easy as there is a strong field here.”

Six first-round matches were scheduled for Victoria Park at an event which has been dealt repeated blows at the box office with pullouts from former grand slam winner Victoria Azarenka, 2014 Wimbledon finalist Eugenie Bouchard and only on Sunday, the injury withdrawal of world number three Garbine Muguruza.

The Spaniard pulled the plug after winning the China Open, citing the ankle injury which forced her to quit the Wuhan final eight days ago against Williams.

American Williams, the “mother” of the Hong Kong field at age 35. She is no stranger to the city, having played a previous exhibition tournament at Victoria Park for seven of eight years until it was ended in 2011.

Copyright © 2015. No duplication is permitted without permission from Bob Larson Tennis.