The crowd at the Centre Court in Toronto certainly didn’t get their money’s worth due to Belinda Bencic‘s untimely withdrawal from the quarterfinals. She was scheduled to face Coco Gauff on Tuesday, but was forced to pull out due to a hip injury, bringing her Canadian Open campaign to an abrupt end. After deciding to withdraw from the match, Bencic issued a public apology to the fans who had come to watch the match.

“First of all, I’m really, really sorry,” she said in an on-court interview, speaking with Sportsnet’s Danielle Michaud. “I’m well aware that all of you came out tonight to support us, and I’m very sorry that we cannot give you the match. I really tried all I could to be ready for tonight.

“I have some hip issues; it’s like pinching a lot. I tried to warm up, I tried to take painkillers, and none of that really worked. So I’m really sad and disappointed not to be able to play tonight, especially in front of you all and on this beautiful court.”

The injury couldn’t have come at a worse time for Bencic. If it’s anything serious, then not only will she have to withdraw from the Cincinnati Open, but it could also complicate her preparations for the US Open. There had been doubts around her fitness throughout the tournament as she had been playing with significant taping on her leg. Now, the Swiss No. 1 will be aiming to recover from it as soon as she can.

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Bencic had started her hard-court season on a strong note. She had arrived at the Canadian Open after exiting Wimbledon in the Round of 16 following a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 defeat to Coco Gauff.

She cruised past Sloane Stephens 6-3, 6-1 in her opening match. She then faced Taylor Townsend, and the encounter proved to be quite a grueling one. The match was very physical and went on for three hours and 24 minutes. Bencic triumphed 6-7, 7-6, 6-4, but it added to the physical demands of her run.

However, she surprisingly recorded a pretty one-sided 6-4, 6-0 victory over Alexandra Eala in the Round of 16. This result also brought an end to the Filipina’s 7-match winning streak and made Bencic one of the biggest contenders for the Canadian Open title.

But it is safe to say that Gauff was being seen as the favorite to advance over Bencic ahead of their quarterfinal clash. The American had a 6-2 lead in the H2H record and had already racked up two victories over Bencic this season.

Notably, Gauff hasn’t dropped a set in the three matches she has played at the Canadian Open so far. With hard courts being her preferred surface, she is definitely a major contender for the title and will be in much better physical condition than Elena Rybakina as she prepares for the semifinals.