DUBAI // Philipp Kohlschreiber is hoping to reach the 400-career-win milestone in Dubai this week.
A quarter-finalist (2016) and a semi-finalist (2014) in his past two appearances here, the German world No 29 started his eighth Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships campaign with a 6-4, 7-6 win over No 8 seed Gilles Muller to take his tally of wins to 398.
“Hopefully I can achieve this mark [400-win] here in this tournament,” Kohlschreiber said, who now awaits the winner of the Omar Behroozian and Daniil Medvedev clash.
“That would be great because it would mean I am in the semi-finals.
“But on the other side, well, I think I have hopefully a few more years to play on the tour. So I’m pretty confident I am going to make 400-plus, hopefully.”
■ Read more: Stan Wawrinka keen to 'reach the highest level again'
Roger Federer avoids the clay to mould 2017 campaign
Kohlschreiber, 33, turned pro in 2001 but made his first main draw appearance in 2002 in Munich. Five years later, he won his first ATP World Tour title at the same venue, becoming the first German to win the event since in Michael Stitch in 1994.
He has won seven titles overall and earned more than $9.5 million (Dh34.9m) in prize money, but Kohlschreiber cherishes the friends he has made on the tour even more.
“I am always trying to be who tries to make other people smile,” he said. “Sometimes I might do things that are a bit too much. So sometimes it might not be funny.
“But, well, I’m a happy person. It’s a very good environment. After more than 10 years on the tour, the same faces, you make some friends, people you see almost every week. So, it’s a good connection.
“I could be a bit more funny on the court, I have to be honest. But outside, I think I’m very open and, yeah, a funny guy.”
Follow us on Twitter @NatSportUAE
Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/TheNationalSport
