Muller grabs 1st title in Sydney

SYDNEY - Luxembourg veteran Gilles Muller prevented an all-Britain singles sweep at the Sydney International, beating Daniel Evans 7-6 (5), 6-2 in the men’s final Saturday. It was the 33-year-old Muller’s first ATP win in his sixth final. At No. 34, he had been the highest-ranked player on the ATP Tour to have not won a tournament. Sydney-born Johanna Konta of Britain won the women’s final Friday over Agnieszka Radwanska. Muller had played 16 years and more than 260 matches to achieve his first tournament win. He broke down during the trophy presentation ceremony. “It just means so much to win for the first time in front of my boys and my wife,” Muller said. “It’s been a great ride so far ... what a night.” Muller won $78,000 and a rankings boost that will lift him into the top 30 for the first time. He has a first-round Australian Open match against American Taylor Fritz. Qualifier Mertens wins Hobart Belgian qualifier Elise Mertens completed her fairytale run at the Hobart International by beating third seed Monica Niculescu 6-3, 6-1 to clinch her maiden WTA Tour title Saturday. The 21-year-old, ranked 127th in the world, was broken in her first service game by her more experienced Romanian opponent but rallied to become the third qualifier to win the Hobart title after Mona Barthel (2012) and Garbine Muguruza (2014). Mertens had passed up the chance to qualify for the Australian Open singles draw by remaining in Hobart and was rewarded for her loyalty to the tournament when she wrapped up the title in 74 minutes. Sock claims ASB Classic In New Zealand, fourth-seeded American Jack Sock made amends for the disappointment of a year ago when he beat Joao Sousa of Portugal 6-3, 5-7, 6-3 in Saturday’s final to win the ASB tennis Classic. Sock also reached the tournament final in 2016 but had to pull out of the title match due to illness. The 24-year-old Kansas resident is ranked 23 but still with only one career title to his name, having lost his past four finals, so his emotional response to Saturday’s win was understandable. Sousa beat fifth-seeded Alberto Ramos-Vinolas and eighth-seeded Marcos Baghdatis on his way to Saturday’s showdown with Sock. Though the finalists knew each other well, playing doubles and regularly practicing together, they had only met once before on the ATP Tour: last year in Madrid when Sousa won in three sets. - Agencies