Monfils and Halep tune up for new year with notable victories on tour

TENNIS: Persistence finally paid off for fit-again Frenchman Gael Monfils as he claimed the Qatar Open title with a 6-2, 6-3 victory over promising Russian Andrey Rublev. Monfils had lost three times in the final, most recently in 2014 against Rafa Nadal, but left nothing to chance this time as he outclassed Rublev in 61 minutes. The 31-year-old former world No6 slipped down the rankings last year as injuries struck. Although it was a disappointing day for Rublev, the 20-year-old has sent out an early signal that he will be a force this year. He more than matched Monfils for firepower but was frustrated by the Frenchman’s defensive skills and despite defeat he is projected to rise to a career-high ranking of 32. Meanwhile, top-ranked Simona Halep (pictured) beat defending champion Katerina Siniakova 6-1, 26, 6-0 in the final of the Shenzhen Open which was moved indoors after repeated rain delays. Halep coasted through the first set, breaking Siniakova twice in a dominant start in which she lost just seven points on serve. Siniakova found her rhythm in the second set, breaking in the fourth game to move 3-1 ahead. Despite being broken back in the next game, the sixth-seeded Czech maintained her focus to take Halep’s serve twice more and level the match at a set apiece. Halep broke her opponent three times in the final set to seal the win. And Roger Federer and Belinda Bencic won the deciding Fast4 mixed doubles 4-3 (3), 4-2 over Germany to give Switzerland its third Hopman Cup title. Federer rebounded from a first-set loss to dominate the rest of the match in a 6-7 (4), 6-0, 6-2 win over Alexander Zrevev. Angelique Kerber beat Bencic 6-4, 6-1 to send it to the mixed doubles decider. It was Switzerland first Hopman Cup since 2001 when Federer teamed with Martina Hingis.