The Japanese player served for the match in the third set but fell to a 3-6, 6-2, 7-5 defeat at La Caja Mágica.

It was the second straight victory for the Swiss, ranked at 18 in the world, over Osaka after she ended her title defence at Indian Wells in March.

Bencic will take on Simona Halep, the world number three, for a place in the final after the Romanian beat Australian ninth seed Ashleigh Barty 7-5, 7-5 at the WTA Premier Mandatory event.

US Open champion Sloane Stephens is also through as she overcame Croatia's Petra Martić 6-4, 6-3.

"For sure it helped that I had played [Osaka] before," Bencic said.

"I know how the ball feels. 

"I feel like people underestimate who are watching on the TV. 

"Her ball is very heavy, you cannot see, but she puts you under a lot of pressure with all her shots, so you don't have time to construct the rally and to play around."

In the men's Association of Tennis Professionals World Tour Masters 1000 event, fourth seed and 20-time Grand Slam winner Roger Federer battled through to the quarter-finals.

Federer was a break down in the decider but recovered to clinch a 6-0, 4-6, 7-6 triumph over Frenchman Gaël Monfils.

The victory, which was Federer's 1,200th career win, saw the Swiss star set up a meeting with Austria's Dominic Thiem.

Serbian Novak Djokovic is also through had earlier swept aside Jeremy Chardy of France Jeremy Chardy 6-1, 7-6 to book his quarter-final place.