STANFORD, California - Former world number one Venus Williams will be aiming to win her third Bank of West Classic title this week and insists she is back in peak condition.
Top seed Venus will play her first match on Wednesday against fellow American Lindsay Lee-Waters and the four-times grand slam champion is hoping to put recent upsets behind her.
Venus suffered her earliest defeat at Wimbledon for seven years when she was stunned by Croatian teenager Karolina Sprem 7-6 7-6 in the second round.
"I'm used to winning and being in the finals," said Venus, who won Wimbledon in 2000 and 2001 before finishing runner-up to younger sister Serena the following two years.
"I feel like I'm a better player than that and know that I'm better than that result.
"I know that when it comes to the abilities I have, no one on tour can match that."
Although Venus has won two titles this year, her performance at the grand slams has been under par.
At the Australian Open she was humbled in the third round while at Roland Garros, she was routed by eventual champion Anastasia Myskina in the quarter-finals.
Venus blames part of her lacklustre form on a series of injuries. She missed the second half of last season with an abdominal strain while this year, she has sprained her ankle twice.
"At the French, I couldn't keep the ball in against Myskina and didn't play that well the whole time there," the world number 15 said.
"Against Sprem, I took my eye off the ball, which is a no-no. It's a simple thing that can hit you the hardest."
Venus had reached the semi-finals of at least one grand slam tournament since she started competing at the majors in 1997.
Having failed to progress beyond the quarter-finals at the three grand slams in 2004, Venus could end up suffering her worst season if she fails to live up to her own high expectations at next month's U.S. Open.
However, the 24-year-old feels she's in peak condition for the first time in a year and is ready to challenge for the top again.
"I feel like I am at that level but I haven't performed or haven't had the opportunity to perform at my optimum ability," said the former world number one.
"I have to put myself in that position again."
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