Stan Wawrinka — Kasatkina, Bejlek out of Dubai; Andreeva and Bencic Advance via Walkover

Stan Wawrinka Mirra Andreeva and Belinda Bencic both advanced to the third round of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships walkover after Daria Kasatkina and Sara Bejlek withdrew due to injury. The developments move two former champions deeper into the draw and reshape the upcoming last-16 matchups.

Stan Wawrinka: Walkovers push Andreeva and Bencic into the last 16

Mirra Andreeva, the defending champion and No. 5 seed, progressed to the third round when Daria Kasatkina pulled out with a right hip injury. Andreeva is set to meet either Jaqueline Cristian or qualifier Ella Seidel in the last 16. Belinda Bencic, the 2019 champion and No. 9 seed, advanced after wild card Sara Bejlek withdrew with an abdominal injury. Bencic’s next opponent will be either the No. 7 seed Elina Svitolina or Paula Badosa.

Both walkovers stem from injuries: Kasatkina’s right hip issue and Bejlek’s abdominal problem. The withdrawals alter planned first-time encounters and hand built-in rest to both Andreeva and Bencic as they prepare for deeper rounds of the event.

What the walkovers mean for the Dubai draw

The sudden exits create immediate changes to the pathway in Dubai. Andreeva’s route now hinges on the outcome of the Cristian–Seidel match, while Bencic’s trajectory depends on the Svitolina–Badosa result. Each advancing player earns a place in the last 16 without completing a second-round match, which affects on-court rhythm and recovery time moving forward.

Sara Bejlek, 20, had entered Dubai fresh off a breakthrough two weeks earlier when she captured her first WTA Tour title in Abu Dhabi as a qualifier and rose into the Top 50. That momentum is interrupted by the abdominal injury that forced her withdrawal here. The nature and severity of the injuries that ended Kasatkina’s and Bejlek’s Dubai campaigns were cited as the reasons for their pulls from the tournament.

Immediate implications and what to watch next

• Andreeva advances as defending champion and carries the No. 5 seed line into the last 16; her next opponent will be either Jaqueline Cristian or qualifier Ella Seidel.
• Bencic, the No. 9 seed and 2019 Dubai champion, moves on without play and will face either No. 7 seed Elina Svitolina or Paula Badosa in the last 16.
• Bejlek’s recent title run in Abu Dhabi and rapid rise into the Top 50 will be paused while she recovers from an abdominal injury.

These outcomes reshape late-stage matchups and could influence seeding trajectories for the remainder of the tournament. Details may evolve as the tournament progresses and as injured players’ statuses are clarified.