Gauff Advances to Toronto Semifinals After Bencic Withdrawal

Coco Gauff advanced to the semifinals of the National Bank Open in Toronto by walkover on Tuesday night after her scheduled opponent, Belinda Bencic, withdrew due to a hip injury. The fourth-seeded Gauff, ranked No. 4 in the world, will next face the winner of the quarterfinal match between Naomi Osaka and Elena Rybakina.

Bencic, the No. 12 seed and 2015 tournament champion, announced her withdrawal shortly before the match was set to begin at 7 p.m. ET. In a statement released through Tennis Canada, the Swiss player expressed her disappointment. "I am really sorry to not be able to compete tonight," Bencic said. "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."

Speaking to the crowd after the announcement, Bencic provided more detail on the injury. "I have some hip issues. It's pinching a lot. I tried to warm up, I tried to tape it, tried to take painkillers, and none of it worked," she said. When asked about the difficulty of the decision, Bencic indicated it was straightforward. "It was quite easy. I couldn't really move, so I don't think I had much of a...