Coco Gauff Reaches Toronto Masters Semi-Finals by Walkover

World number four Coco Gauff advanced to the semi-finals of the WTA Toronto Masters by walkover on Tuesday after Belinda Bencic withdrew because of a hip injury.

The 22-year-old American had been due to face Swiss player Bencic, but tournament officials announced that the 29-year-old could not continue in the event. The withdrawal sends Gauff directly into the last four and leaves her one match away from Thursday’s final.

The development is significant for Gauff as she moves through the Toronto draw without having to play her scheduled quarter-final. Her semi-final will take place on Wednesday, when she will compete for a place in the title match.

Gauff awaits Osaka or Rybakina

Gauff will meet the winner of the match between Naomi Osaka and Elena Rybakina in the semi-finals. Osaka is a four-time Grand Slam champion from Japan, while Rybakina of Kazakhstan is ranked world number two.

The upcoming match presents Gauff with a route to Thursday’s final, with two established opponents still in contention on the other side of the quarter-final. The source did not provide a score or result from the Osaka-Rybakina match at the time of the announcement.

Gauff entered the week as the world number four and now has a direct place in the semi-finals. The walkover means there were no games played between Gauff and Bencic in their scheduled Toronto meeting.

For Bencic, the withdrawal comes with the US Open due to begin at the end of the month. The Swiss player is ranked 14th in the world and has not reached a Grand Slam final.

Recent Gauff-Bencic history

Gauff held a 6-2 all-time record over Bencic in WTA matches before the Toronto quarter-final was called off. Their recent meetings had both gone Gauff’s way, with the American defeating Bencic in the fourth round at Wimbledon this year and again in the Miami quarter-finals.

Those results provide the immediate head-to-head context for a match that will not take place in Toronto. Instead, Gauff’s focus turns to Wednesday’s semi-final and the winner between Osaka and Rybakina.

With a final scheduled for Thursday, Gauff’s walkover places her in position to compete for the Toronto Masters title. Bencic’s hip injury, however, ends her participation in the tournament before the planned quarter-final against the American.