The competitive fire still burns strong for Lleyton Hewitt. The former World No. 1 and 2002 Wimbledon champion will return to the All England Club to play doubles alongside countryman Jordan Thompson.

Hewitt, who hung up his racquet at the Australian Open in January, capping a legendary 18-year career, owns an 8-6 doubles record at Wimbledon. His first appearance came in 1999, reaching the third round with Roger Federer. Thompson, who broke into the Top 100 in singles last month, is making his Wimbledon debut.

The Aussies are one of six doubles teams to receive wild card entry into the main draw, including #NextGen star Kyle Edmund and fellow Brit James Ward, along with 2012 doubles champion Jonathan Marray and Canada’s Adil Shamasdin. Hewitt will also lend his expert services in the commentary booth for the BBC.

In addition, six of the eight singles main draw wild cards were announced. Dustin Brown, champion at the ATP Challenger Tour grass-court event in Manchester, joins former World No. 8 Radek Stepanek and home hopes Liam Broady, Brydan Klein, Alexander Ward and James Ward.

Alexander Peya joined a select group with a victory in Halle on Saturday, his 300th in tour-level doubles events. He and Lukasz Kubot moved into the final of the Gerry Weber Open by downing Henri Kontinen and John Peers 6-2, 1-6, 10-7 in 63 minutes. They will face third seeds Raven Klaasen and Rajeev Ram for the title on Sunday.

It was a third consecutive Match Tie-break win for Kubot/Peya. The second seeds saved four match points against Philipp Kohlschreiber and Dominic Thiem in the first round and overcame a 8/9 deficit in the Match Tie-break of the quarter-finals against Brian Baker and Denis Istomin.

Peya reached a career high of No. 3 in the Emirates ATP Doubles Rankings in 2013. The 35 year old from Vienna is seeking his 15th doubles title and first with Kubot.

Darkness Stops Play At The Queen’s Club

Julien Benneteau/Edouard Roger-Vasselin and Chris Guccione/Andre Sa were tied at 3-3 in the first set when darkness interrupted Saturday play at the Aegon Championships. Guiccone and Sa only dropped five points on serve while Benneteau and Roger-Vasselin needed to save five break points before the match was halted.

Awaiting the winners in the final will be top seeds Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut, who rallied to down wild cards Jonathan Erlich and Colin Fleming 6-7(2), 7-6(3), 10-8. Herbert/Mahut unsuccessfully served for the first set at 5-3 before dropping the opener in a tie-break. The Frenchmen recovered to win in just under two hours. They are seeking their fourth team title in 2016.

The king of the Gerry Weber Open was dethroned on Saturday.

When 19-year-old Alexander Zverev upset top seed Roger Federer 7-6(4), 5-7, 6-3 in the Halle semi-finals, it marked the first time the Swiss failed to contest the final in his last 11 appearances. Still in search of his first tour-level crown in 2016, Federer says he is not lamenting his missed opportunity for an unprecedented ninth Halle title. Following an extended absence due to back and knee ailments, his return has been full of positives.

“Looking back on how I felt three, four weeks ago, this is pretty good,” Federer said to assembled media following the match. “Talking to me after a loss clearly is always tougher to step back and just to reassess how great everything is, but I must say it’s gotten better and better.

“I think there are little things that just have to fall into place and then you play better and feel better. I hope it’s sooner than later and I know what I need to work on in the next 10 days. Clearly, I also need to rest now. It’s been a lot of tennis. This has been seven matches in nine or ten days now. It’s been intense and it’s been busy and it’s exactly what I needed. At least I have a clear picture now where my game is at, what I need to do and without Stuttgart and Halle I wouldn’t have that. I have more clarity now.”

After reaching the last four at the MercedesCup in Stuttgart (l. to Thiem), Federer moved to his happy hunting ground in Halle in search of match play and rhythm on the grass. At 34, the Swiss admits he is taking it one step at a time. Progress is there.

“The only thing missing is a better baseline game. I guess that comes through movement and through just playing enough again. I feel the serve has come back around now, the returns have gotten better also throughout the match today.

“I think if the movement gets better and then the baseline game improves a little bit, I’ll be better on the big points, on the return and also in less trouble on my own service games. But I’m okay and I’m pleased on how I played, how I’m feeling and now we’ve got enough time before Wimbledon to get ready for that.”

Federer will next head to SW19 for the Wimbledon Championships, looking for a record eighth title. Always a threat on the lawns of the All England Club, the World No. 3 is not tempering expectations but stresses that patience is essential.

“I definitely need a rest first and once I get back to practice and by the time the press conferences get rolling in Wimbledon, I can probably tell you a whole lot more.”