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SA’s Klaasen qualifies for year-end finals

London - South African tennis ace Raven Klaasen and his American partner Rajeev Ram have become the sixth team to qualify for the 2016 ATP World Tour Finals.

There are now two doubles spots left up for grabs at the season finale, to be held at The O2 in London from November 13-20.

The South African-American tandem qualified for the first time as a result of Jean-Julien Rojer and Horia Tecau beating Treat Huey and Max Mirnyi in the Swiss Indoors Basel quarter-finals late on Thursday.

Rojer and Tecau, who captured the ATP World Tour Finals and year-end No 1 spot last year, are currently No 9 in the ATP Doubles Race To London - one spot adrift from Huey and Mirnyi.

Klaasen and Ram have compiled a 31-18 match record on the season, including a 2-3 record in title matches. They lifted ATP World Tour titles at the Chengdu Open (d. Carreno Busta/Fyrstenberg) and the Gerry Weber Open (d. Kubot/Peya).

The duo also reached finals at the Miami Open (l. to Herbert/Mahut), the Banque Eric Sturdza Geneva Open (l. to Johnson/Querrey) and the Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships 2016 (l. to Granollers/Matkowski).

Klaasen and Ram will join Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut, Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares, Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan, Feliciano Lopez and Marc Lopez and Ivan Dodig and Marcelo Melo in the English capital.

Speaking from Basel, Switzerland where Klaasen and Ram are seeded three in the Swiss Indoors in Basel and through to the quarter-finals, Klaasen said he was delighted on receiving the news.

“When the confirmation came through from the ATP World Tour on us qualifying I was really excited. I have personally worked so hard for this, it’s been a goal and Rajeev and I have put in a great effort throughout the year to earn our spot.”

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