Hong Kong Open Round-Up: Belinda Bencic forced to withdraw ahead of quarter-final clash as Canadian stars set up semi-final matchup

Number one seed Belinda Bencic was forced to withdraw from her quarter-final tie in the Hong Kong Open against Cristina Bucsa due to a thigh injury.

The world number 11 had previously looked like a strong contender to compete for the WTA 250 title and had not dropped a set in her two previous ties against Aliaksandra Sasnovich and Yafan Wang on the back of clinching the Pan Pacific Open title. However, the injury picked up proved to be enough to force her out of the competition, in a disappointing end to her season.

"I am so disappointed to have to withdraw today from my quarter-final match here in Hong Kong due to my thigh injury," Bencic wrote on Instagram. "I've really enjoyed my time in Hong Kong. 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. I would certainly like to come back and play in Hong Kong next year! Thank you all for the warm welcome and amazing hospitality."

Bucsa, afforded an extra days rest, will be fresh going into tomorrow's semi-final against teenage star Maya Joint, who get the better of qualifier Himeno Sakatsume 6-4, 2-6, 6-4. Twice in the first set Sakatsume clinched a break, but on both occasions Joint put the match back on serve in an instant. After going 4-2 down, she swept up the remaining four games and gained a set on her opponent. This advantage would soon be extinguished after the Japanese star went 3-0 ahead early on before forcing a deciding set with a late break. There would just be a solitary break in the third set, with the Aussie taking her chance to go 3-2 ahead, After a tense final game, Joint got over the line with her second match point to set up a tie against Bucsa in the semi-final.

While it is despair for Switzerland, Canada are currently having a blast in Hong Kong with Victoria Mboko and Leylah Fernandez advancing to the quarter-finals.

Mboko is looking back to her best after a rough patch following her Canadian Open triumph. She defeated the number six seed Anna Kalinskaya 6-1, 3-1 after the Russian retired from the contest after picking up injury. It was a dominant first set from the 19-year-old. She saved a break point early on before steamrolling past Kalinskaya, winning five games on the bounce to comfortably take the first set. After Kalinskaya went ahead in the second set, Mboko won three more games to take a commanding lead, putting her in pole position for the match. However, Kalinskaya called it a day after persistent injury problems, already having called the physio twice in the match.

Mboko will face Fernandez in the semi-final, with a Canadian guaranteed to be in the Hong Kong Open final. The former US Open finalist confirmed this in a 6-4, 6-4 win over Sorana Cirstea. The duo both failed to take a brace of break points in the first set before Fernendez eventually took the advantage, going 4-3 ahead before comfortably serving it out. Fernandez was much quicker to break in the second set, going ahead in the first game before winning another three in a row to sprint into a 4-0 lead. She would then squander match points on the Romanian's server before Cirstea got one of the breaks back. She managed to get it back to 5-4 before Fernandez eventually served it out. It is the 23-year-old's second semi-final on the Asian swing after taking the title in Osaka. She will be hoping for another this week.