Belinda Bencic pulls out of Hong Kong quarterfinals with thigh injury
Top seed Belinda Bencic has withdrawn from the Hong Kong Open quarter-finals, becoming the latest player to succumb to injury during the WTA Tour’s Asian swing, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
The Tokyo Olympic champion cited a thigh injury as the reason for pulling out of her match against Spain’s Cristina Bucsa on Friday.
“So disappointed to have to withdraw today from my quarter-final match here in Hong Kong due to my thigh injury,” said the 28-year-old Swiss player. “I’ve played a lot of tennis in the past few weeks and did everything I could to stay healthy, but it was not to be.”
Bencic, who began the season ranked 421 and has surged to 11th, recently captured the Pan Pacific Open title in Tokyo after defeating Linda Noskova — a victory that capped her impressive comeback a year after returning to tennis from maternity leave.
The WTA’s late-season tournaments have been marred by numerous injuries and withdrawals. In Tokyo, Noskova advanced to the final after Elena Rybakina withdrew injured before their semi-final.
The Hong Kong Open has faced similar setbacks, with Naomi Osaka and Emma Raducanu pulling out before the tournament began due to injuries. Daria Kasatkina, who switched nationality from Russia to Australia this year, also ended her season early, citing exhaustion.
“The schedule is too much. Mentally and emotionally, I am at breaking point, and sadly I am not alone,” Kasatkina said earlier this month.
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