In the hustle and bustle of the Community Sports Center in Roehampton, Philipp Kohlschreiber's dream of saying goodbye to the big tennis stage was shattered. In the last few meters of his career, it was no longer enough to qualify for the Grand Slam tournament in Wimbledon. After the 7: 6 (7: 4), 3: 6, 4: 6 against Mikhail Kukushkin from Kazakhstan it's over - after 21 years on the professional tour.

Kohlschreiber had already announced his decision on Monday: "It will be my last tournament. I will stop after Wimbledon 2022." The end came on Wednesday at one of the many qualifying grounds in south-west London, just a few minutes' drive from Wimbledon's iconic Church Road. His last match lasted 2:18 hours.

Kohlschreiber, who has won a good $13.7 million in prize money, can look back on a "great and wonderful career". Many wishes came true, but he missed the final goal, a final point in the All England Club. Nevertheless: "It was a very long journey, I have great memories. Especially here with my greatest success in a Grand Slam."

In 2012 Kohlschreiber reached the quarter-finals on the Holy Lawn in south-west London. The longtime German Davis Cup player won a total of eight ATP titles and climbed to 16th place in the world rankings. He was particularly strong at home: he triumphed three times in Munich, once each in Halle/Westphalia and Düsseldorf.

kicker/sid, kon