WTA roundup: Top seed Belinda Bencic WDs in Hong Kong

Field Level Media|published: Fri 31st October, 12:52 2025

Aug 24, 2025; Flushing, NY, USA; Belinda Bencic of Switzerland in action against Zhang Shuai of China in the first round of the women’s singles at the US Open at Billie Jean King National Tennis Centre. Mandatory Credit: Mike Frey-Imagn Images

Spain's Cristina Bucsa advanced to the Hong Kong Tennis Open semifinals on Friday when top-seeded Swiss Belinda Bencic withdrew before their match with a thigh injury.

Bucsa will take on No. 5 seed Maya Joint of Australia, who outlasted Japan's Himeno Sakatsume 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 in the quarterfinals.

No. 2 seed Leylah Fernandez and No. 3 Victoria Mboko both won in straight sets to set up an all-Canadian semifinal. Fernandez defeated No. 7 Sorana Cirstea of Romania 6-4, 6-4 and Mboko was leading No. 6 Anna Kalinskaya 6-1, 3-1 when the Russian was forced to retire.

Jiangxi Open

Russia's Anna Blinkova eliminated No. 3 seed Alycia Parks 7-5, 7-5 in just under two hours to reach the semifinals in Jiujiang, China.

Taking advantage of a whopping 14 double faults by Parks, Blinkova advanced to face Dominika Salkova of the Czech Republic. Salkova saved three of four break points in a 6-3, 6-4 win against Chinese hopeful Zhuoxuan Bai.

No. 2 Viktorija Golubic of Switzerland was the only seeded player to reach the final four, knocking out No. 5 Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan 7-5, 6-2. Golubic will meet Austria's Lilli Tagger, a 6-3, 6-4 winner against Tamara Korpatsch of Germany.

Chennai Open

Seventh-seeded Australian Kimberly Birrell crushed Croatian No. 3 seed Donna Vekic 6-4, 6-0 to reach the semifinals in Chennai, India.

Birrell never faced a break point in the 71-minute match. Up next is Taiwan's Joanna Garland, who converted seven of 11 break points in a 6-2, 7-6 (2) quarterfinal win against Australia's Arina Rodionova.

No. 4 seed Janice Tjen of Indonesia and Thailand's Lanlana Tararudee will square off in the other semifinal. Tien took down Slovakia's Mia Pohankova 6-3, 6-1 and Tararudee breezed to a 6-0, 6-2 win against Russia's Polina Iatcenko.

--Field Level Media