13 Jun 2011

Local favourite wins Halle tournament in Germany

8:23 am on 13 June 2011

Germany's Philipp Kohlschreiber won the Halle grasscourt tennis tournament for his third singles title of his career after countryman Philipp Petzschner retired with a back problem.

In the first all-German Halle final since the Wimbledon warm-up event started 19 years ago, the pair slugged it out in an exciting first set before the 27-year-old Petzschner retired, trailing 7-6 2-0.

World number 49 Kohlschreiber, who beat holder Lleyton Hewitt in the last eight and world number eight Gael Monfils in the semi-finals, landed his first singles title since Auckland in 2008.