23 Jul 2009

Former Wimbledon champ's return short-lived

8:36 am on 23 July 2009

Former Wimbledon champion Michael Stich's return to competitive tennis 12 years after his retirement lasted just over an hour in losing his first round doubles match at the German Open.

Stich, who's, joined up with 21-year-old Mischa Zverev but the German duo were beaten in straight sets by the Swedish-Australian pair of Simon Aspelin and Paul Hanley.

Stich, who won Wimbledon in 1991 was also a French Open and U.S. Open finalist.

Stich is not the only retired player to make a brief doubles comeback.

Former Wimbledon champion John McEnroe, partnered by Swede Jonas Bjorkman, won the San Jose doubles tournament in 2006 aged 47, 14 years after his last title.