American star Venus Williams will again light up Victoria Park in October when she joins a strong line-up for the Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open. The 35-year-old seven-time grand slam winner, who has been a regular visitor to Hong Kong, will compete in the US$250,000 tournament alongside defending champion Sabine Lisicki and rising French star Caroline Garcia in the October 12-18 event. “Venus is a tennis icon and one of the biggest names in the sport,” said Chris Lai, tournament director and Hong Kong Tennis Association chief executive. Venus really enjoys Hong Kong and is excited to return to Victoria Park stadium, where she has had considerable success in the past Chris Lai, HKTA “Her grace and professionalism both on and off the court has inspired a generation of players and her explosive game thrills tennis fans worldwide. “Venus really enjoys Hong Kong and is excited to return to Victoria Park stadium, where she has had considerable success in the past,” Lai added. “We are hugely excited to have Venus back. She is extremely popular here.” Williams last played in Hong Kong in 2011 – the year she was diagnosed with Sjogren’s Syndrome – an auto-immune disease where white blood cells attack moisture-producing glands. Sabine Lisicki to defend her Hong Kong Open tennis title Nine out of 10 patients are women and most experience extreme fatigue and joint pain. Williams, who is ranked 15th in the world, has also had to cope with a spate of injuries, as well as a change to her dietary habits to cope with the disease. This year, she has shown glimpses of the form that had seen her bully opponents into submission in her glory years, reaching the quarter-finals of the Australian Open in January and impressing at Wimbledon before running into sister Serena Williams, who triumphed 6-4, 6-3 before going on to win the title. The City is a happy hunting ground for Williams, who won the Hong Kong Tennis Classic three times in singles format and once during the team-event phase in 2009 when she led the Americas to a 3-1 win over Russia in the final. She has twice clashed with Russian star Maria Sharapova in the Hong Kong final, winning in 2004 and 2008. Apart from her seven singles grand slam titles, including five at Wimbledon, she has also won 13 grand slam doubles titles with Serena and two in mixed doubles. Williams has also won four Olympic gold medals – one in singles and three in doubles. The Hong Kong Tennis Open is back for its second edition after WTA tennis returned to the city last year for the first time since 1993. It has been boosted by investment from its title sponsor and a HK$7 million injection from the government’s Mega Events Fund. Oscar Chow, chairman of the tournament’s steering committee, said: “The good news is we have more star names to announce very soon.” Ticket prices range from HK$160 to HK$880, with an early bird discount of 20 per cent for those who buy before August 31.