Bencic out of WTA's Luxembourg Open

Top-seed Belinda Bencic has been sent packing from the Luxembourg Open after a straight-sets defeat to emerging Russian Ludmilla Samsonova.

The world No.12, who was beaten by Emma Raducanu in the last eight of the US Open, fell again in the quarter-finals as she was beaten 6-1 6-4.

It was the second successive defeat for Bencic against the Russian, having also lost their final at the Berlin Open in June.

There was a further upset as Belgium's second seed Elise Mertens lost 7-5 6-2 to fifth seed Marketa Vondrousova of the Czech Republic.

Third seed and former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko reached the last four with a 7-6 (8-6) 6-2 win over Alize Cornet, while Canada's Clara Tauson saw off Marie Bouzkova 6-3 6-2.

In Portoroz, fourth seed Sorana Cirstea - another recent Raducanu conquest - was beaten 6-4 4-6 6-1 by Italy's Jasmine Paolini in their quarter-final.

She will next face second seed Yulia Putintseva, who beat Lucia Bronzetti 6-3 6-2, while third seed Alison Riske saw off Kristina Mladenovic 6-4 6-1.

Riske will face Kaja Juvan, who came through her all-Slovenian battle with Tamara Zidansek 7-6 (7-4) 6-3.