Belinda Bencic withdraws from National Bank Open quarter-final with hip injury

Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic pulled out of the National Bank Open on Tuesday due to a hip injury.

Organizers confirmed the withdrawal shortly before her quarter-final match against American Coco Gauff was scheduled to begin at Sobeys Stadium.

“I am really sorry to not be able to compete tonight,” Bencic said in a statement. “This is an amazing tournament and I was really looking forward to playing in front of the great fans here in Toronto.

“I tried everything possible to be ready for tonight.”

The fourth-seeded Gauff advanced to the semi-finals via walkover.

Japan’s Naomi Osaka, the No. 11 seed, and second-seeded Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan were scheduled to meet later in the evening in the other quarter-final.

No. 9 seed Elina Svitolina of Ukraine and seventh-seeded Iga Swiatek of Poland secured semi-final berths a day earlier.

The 12th-seeded Bencic, who won here in 2015, defeated Alexandra Eala of the Philippines on Sunday to reach the quarter-finals. Bencic played with significant taping around her left thigh.

Semi-final matches were set for Wednesday and the final is scheduled for Thursday at the WTA Tour event.

In doubles semi-final play, Italy’s Sara Errani and American Nicole Melichar-Martinez beat Taiwan’s Su-Wei Hsieh and Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko 6-1, 4-6, 10-8.

In quarter-final action, Tereza Mihalikova of Slovakia and Britain’s Olivia Nicholls posted a 7-5, 6-4 win over Belgium’s Elise Mertens and Russia’s Diana Shnaider.