Coco Gauff Advances to Toronto Semi-Finals After Bencic Withdraws Due to Hip Injury

American Coco Gauff, the No. 4 seed at the National Bank Open presented by Rogers, has advanced to the semi-finals. She secured her spot in the next round via a walkover on Tuesday evening after her quarter-final opponent, Switzerland's Belinda Bencic (No. 12 seed), withdrew from the match shortly before it was scheduled to begin due to a hip injury.

Gauff, currently ranked No. 4 in the world, will now face the winner of the match between Japan's Naomi Osaka (No. 11 seed) and Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina (No. 2 seed). This match was rescheduled to no earlier than 7:30 p.m. following Bencic's withdrawal.

Bencic, ranked No. 14, released a statement through Tennis Canada explaining her decision. She stated that she had explored all available options to be fit for the match but unfortunately, they were unsuccessful. "I’m really sorry to not be able to compete tonight," Bencic conveyed. "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. Looking forward to being back in Toronto next time."

"It’s pinching a lot. I tried to warm up, I tried to tape it, tried to take painkillers, and none of it worked."

Speaking to the crowd, Bencic elaborated on her hip issue, describing it as a significant pinch that hampered her mobility. "I have some hip issues," she explained. "It’s pinching a lot. I tried to warm up, I tried to tape it, tried to take painkillers, and none of it worked."

When asked about the difficulty of the decision to withdraw, Bencic indicated that there was little alternative. "It was quite easy. I couldn’t really move, so I don’t think I had much of a choice there. Even if I would come out, I just wouldn’t be able to." She expressed her disappointment at missing the opportunity to continue her strong run in the tournament, especially after a successful previous match. "I played such a good match in the last round, and I was so excited to play tonight and show another good match. I always love to play here in Toronto."

Prior to her withdrawal, Bencic had been in impressive form. She had defeated Alexandra Eala (No. 25 seed) of the Philippines with scores of 6-4, 6-0, American Taylor Townsend 6-7 (5), 7-6 (4), 6-4, and fellow American Sloane Stephens 6-3, 6-1 to reach the quarter-finals.