Kiefer wants Schuettler to take German Olympic team place - Summary

Gstaad, Switzerland - Nicolas Kiefer won his first match of the summer clay season on Tuesday, then called for former surprise Wimbledon semi-finalist Rainer Schuettler to be given a late place on the German Olympic team. Kiefer, 31, and the 32-year-old Schuettler, lifted silver four years ago in Athens, losing the final to Chileans Nicolas Massu and Fernando Gonzalez. Schuettler rode a seam of new-found form into the final four at Wimbledon last week, where he lost to eventual champion Rafael Nadal. After dispatching Italian Gianluca Naso 6-3, 6-2 to move into the second round of the Allianz Suisse Open, Kiefer put in a plea to bring Schuettler back into the Olympic fold. "The deadline passed last week, but Rainer really deserves a place," said Kiefer, ranked 32nd and playing in Gstaad for the first time in eight years. "I... [read full story]