MASON, Ohio (AP) — Belinda Bencic has withdrawn from the Western & Southern Open after dropping the first set against seventh-seeded Lucie Safarova 6-2 in the round of 16.
No reason was immediately given for the 12th-seeded Bencic’s abrupt withdrawal Thursday.
The Swiss teenager was coming off the biggest moment of her brief career, when she won the tournament in Toronto last week and upset top-ranked Serena Williams in the semifinals.
Safarova will meet either 14th-seeded Elina Svitolina or unseeded Caroline Garcia in the quarterfinals at Cincinnati.
Belinda Bencic, of Switzerland, returns the ball to Lucie Safarova, of the Czech Republic, during a match at the Western & Southern Open tennis tournament, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2015, in Mason, Ohio. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)"
Lucie Safarova, of the Czech Republic, returns the ball to Belinda Bencic, of Switzerland, during a match at the Western & Southern Open tennis tournament, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2015, in Mason, Ohio. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)"