Philadelphia, Oct 28: Top seed Venus Williams dropped out on the eve of a 585,000-dollar WTA tournament here, citing the same abdominal strain that has sidelined her since she lost the Wimbledon final.
Williams, 23, aggravated an injured stomach muscle in July's final, losing to her sister Serena Williams, and is questionable at best for the tour championships that begin on November 3 in Los Angeles.
"Right now, it's important for me to make sure that my body is completely recovered," Williams said in a statement Saturday. "I am working really hard to get myself back to 100 per cent.
"The layoff has been difficult but I'm really looking forward to returning to the WTA tour."
Serena Williams also has not played since Wimbledon. She underwent knee surgery on August 1 and has already said she will not play again until next year.



The Williams sisters were ranked first and second in the world earlier this year but Venus has faded to sixth and Serena to third as Belgium's Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin-Hardenne has traded the top ranking back and forth.



The sisters also have been in mourning following the September 14 shooting death of half-sister Yetunde Price in their hometown of Compton, California.



The withdrawal of Venus Williams left France's Amelie Mauresmo as the highest-ranked player in the draw.



A lucky loser from qualifying will take Williams' spot in the draw while Slovenia's Tina Pisnik will move into a seeded slot.


Bureau Report