Schuettler planning shorter season next year

Dubai: German tennis star Rainer Schuettler is planning for a shortened season next year.

Schuettler, who was down to watch The Legends Rock Dubai at the Dubai Tennis Stadium this week, has cut down on the number of tournaments he wants to play next season.

"The grand slams are a priority for sure, but I have decided to play around 25 tournaments compared to the 30 I played this year," Schuettler told Gulf News.

"This season was good for me, so I am not making too many changes in my game. Even if we look at the cutting down in the number of tournaments, it is being done to ensure I get enough recovery time," Schuettler explained.

Earlier this year, the 32-year-old stunned all, including himself, by making it to his first career semifinal at Wimbledon after beating Arnaud Clement in a five-hour scrap over two days.

Though he went down to eventual champion Rafael Nadal, his Wimbledon performance saw him climb up the rankings.

Meanwhile, as part of his preparation for next season, Schuettler will be camping at a club on the outskirts of Mombasa, Kenya, from next week.

"There will be four of us and one of my friends has assured us all the help we need there," he said.