Germany’s Julia Gorges won her third straight title as she beat former world number one Caroline Wozniacki at the ASB Classic in Auckland.

The 29-year-old sent down 41 winners in a 6-4 7-6 (7-4) victory.

After her win, the world number 14 pulled out of this week’s Sydney International with a knee injury.

Wozniacki is set to rise to number two in the world in Monday’s rankings and could yet regain top spot at the Australian Open this month.

The 27-year-old Dane last held top spot six years ago and the current record for the longest gap between being ranked number one is held by Serena Williams, who spent five years and 29 days off the top spot between 10 August 2003 and 8 September 2008.

Gorges, who was runner-up in Auckland to US Open champion Sloane Stephens in 2016, had been victorious at last October’s Kremlin Cup in Moscow and the WTA Elite Trophy the following month in Zhuhai,

She won the first set against Wozniacki with her seventh ace, having broken serve in the first game.

She broke again in the first game of the second set, before the world number three fought back to force a tie-break, but another Goerges forehand winner sealed the victory.

• Konta set for Sydney title defence

Elsewhere on the tour, British number two Heather Watson came through an early scare in her second qualifying match to reach the main draw at the Hobart International.

Despite dropping the first set, she fought back to beat Japan’s Nao Hibino 4-6 7-5 6-3, and will face Romania’s Sorana Cirstea in the first round of a tournament she won in 2015.

Australian Nick Kyrgios made the most of his opportunities to win his first ATP Tour title on home soil at the Brisbane International.

The world number 21 put down a marker before his home Grand Slam by beating American Ryan Harrison 6-4 6-2.

Kyrgios had to save five break points in the first set but converted his only chance to seize the advantage.

The 22-year-old then dominated the second set to claim his fourth career title and his first since October 2016.

The only concern for Kyrgios before the Australian Open, which begins on 15 January, is an ongoing knee injury that seemed to hamper him in the early part of the match.

After losing the opening set, Harrison tried to rally at the start of the second but he dropped his serve with a double fault in his opening service game.

Johanna Konta looks set to defend her Sydney International title, despite withdrawing from her quarter-final in Brisbane with a hip injury.

Konta, who plays Agnieszka Radwanska in the first round, says her hip injury, suffered on Thursday, has settled down “much better than expected.”

The Sydney match on Monday is a repeat of last year’s final.

“I’m taking it one match at a time. My intention was always to play here,” said Sydney-born Konta, 26.

The British number one needed treatment on her right hip during the deciding set against Elina Svitolina and ended the match at the Brisbane International when serving at 3-2 down.

She will also be aiming to make the Australian Open, which begins on 15 January in Melbourne.

• Injured Murray out of Australian Open

Australia’s Nick Kyrgios reached the final of the Brisbane International after beating defending champion and world number three Grigor Dimitrov.

Kyrgios, ranked 21st in the world, won 3-6 6-1 6-4 against the Bulgarian.

The 22-year-old could win his first ATP Tour title on home soil when he plays Ryan Harrison in Sunday’s final, after the American beat Australian wildcard Alex De Minaur 4-6 7-6 6-4.

The Australian Open, the first Grand Slam of the year, begins on 15 January.

France’s Gael Monfils won the Qatar Open title after beating Russia’s Andrey Rublev in straight sets in Doha.

The 31-year-old defeated Rublev, 20, 6-2 6-3 in just over one hour to secure his seventh ATP World Tour title.

Monfils was given a walkover in the semi-finals because of Dominic Thiem’s withdrawal through illness.

“I’m very happy,” Monfils said. “I like this tournament so much. I always come back and I finally got it. So I’m just very happy and very proud.”

His ranking has fallen to 46 in the world, having not played since the US Open in September because of a knee injury,