MERTENS BEATS HALEP, CLAIMS QATAR OPEN

DOHA: Belgium’s Elise Mertens rallied from a set down to beat top seed Simona Halep 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 and clinch her first Premier level title at the Qatar Open on Saturday. Mertens, ranked 21 in the world, recorded three top-10 victories in Doha this week, also beating Kiki Bertens and Angelique Kerber in the quarter-finals and semi-finals, respectively. The 23-yearold enjoyed a breakthrough 2018, winning three titles.

MONFILS WINS TITLE

ROTTERDAM: Gael Monfils regained control in the third set to defeat good friend Stan Wawrinka 6-3, 1-6, 6-2 on Sunday and win his eighth career title at the Rotterdam Open. Monfils, the runner-up three years ago, held off Wawrinka’s second-set surge to ease through the decider. Wawrinka, continuing an 18-month comeback from double knee surgery, was playing in his first ATP final since June 2017. It was the first final at the Dutch ATP event in 11 years to feature two unseeded players.

SCHNUR’S DREAM RUN

NEW YORK: Canadian qualifier Brayden Schnur punched his ticket to the ATP New York Open final by outlasting US journeyman Sam Querrey 7-6(7), 4-6, 6-3 on Saturday. Schnur, a 23-yearold from Montreal ranked 154th in the world, defeated 10-time ATP title-winner Querrey in one hour and 54 minutes in the semifinals. He will try to complete a fairy-tale championship run on Sunday against American Reilly Opelka, who beat top seed John Isner 6-7(8), 7-6(14), 7-6(4).

THIEM KNOCKED OUT

BUENOS AIRES: Local favourite Diego Schwartzman overcame top seed Dominic Thiem 2-6, 6-4, 7-6(5) on Saturday and set up a final showdown with Italy’s Marco Cecchinato at the Argentina Open. Buenos Aires-born Schwartzman fought back from 4-2 down to force a tiebreak in the third set. The world No 19 held his nerve in a nail-biting tiebreak to beat Thiem.