In an eventful week for women’s tennis, the tennis calendar was highlighted by the withdrawal of Belinda Bencic from the Prudential Hong Kong Open due to a thigh injury. This development has shifted the spotlight onto Leylah Fernandez, who emerges as a strong contender for the title. Meanwhile, the Chennai and Jiangxi Opens saw a host of exciting matches as players battled it out for spots in the semi-finals.
At the Hong Kong Open, top seed Belinda Bencic, currently ranked No. 11 in the world, was forced to pull out ahead of her quarter-final clash with Spain’s Cristina Bucsa. Bencic expressed her disappointment in a social media post, citing her injury and her bad luck despite her efforts to maintain her fitness during a busy schedule. She had shown remarkable form leading up to her injury, not dropping a set in the tournament.
With Bencic out, Bucsa received a one-round bye into the semi-finals, where she will face Australia’s Maya Joint. Joint showcased resilience in her quarter-final against Japanese player Himeno Sakatsume, battling through a tough three-set encounter that ended with a scoreline of 6-4, 2-6, 6-4. Joint’s ability to regroup after falling behind in the first and second sets ultimately paid off, allowing her to secure the victory.
In another part of the draw, the quarter-finals featured two Canadians, Leylah Fernandez and Victoria Mboko, both of whom advanced to the semi-finals. Fernandez, a former US Open finalist, displayed her competitive spirit in a match against Romania’s Sorana Cirstea, winning 6-4, 6-4. Fernandez noted the challenge posed by Cirstea but expressed satisfaction with her performance, setting up an all-Canadian showdown against Mboko.
Mboko reached the semi-finals after her opponent, sixth seed Anna Kalinskaya, was forced to retire while trailing 6-1, 3-1 due to injury. This outcome confirmed that at least one Canadian will make it to the final in Hong Kong, emphasizing the growing talent coming from the nation.
Over in Chennai, Australia’s Kimberly Birrell delivered an impressive performance by defeating third seed Donna Vekic in straight sets, 6-4, 6-0, marking her second career semi-final appearance. Birrell’s impressive display left her untroubled by break points throughout the match. She will now face Taiwan’s Joanna Garland, who made headlines by reaching her first WTA semi-final after a dramatic win over Arina Rodionova, coming back from 3-5 down in the second set to secure a 6-2, 7-6(2) victory.
The other semi-final in Chennai pits Indonesia’s Janice Tjen against Thailand’s Lanlana Tararudee. Tjen, the fourth seed, had an efficient win over Slovakia’s Mia Pohankova, while Tararudee advanced convincingly against Russia’s Polina Iatcenko with a straightforward 6-0, 6-2 scoreline.
Meanwhile, at the Jiangxi Open, Switzerland’s Viktorija Golubic was the only seeded player to make it to the semi-finals after a come-from-behind win against fifth seed Yulia Putintseva, finishing the match at 7-5, 6-2. Golubic will face 17-year-old Lilli Tagger, who continues to impress, clinching her first WTA semi-final with a 6-3, 6-4 win against Germany’s Tamara Korpatsch.
In another match, Anna Blinkova of Russia defeated No. 3 seed Alycia Parks from the USA in a tightly contested encounter that took nearly two hours. Blinkova capitalized on Parks’ struggles with double faults, marking her own return to form as she heads into her first semi-final since last year.
As the tournaments progress, all eyes will be on these impressive athletes as they strive for glory in their respective events, showcasing the depth and talent present in the current women’s game.
