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Cape Town - For South African tennis ace Raven Klaasen and his American partner Rajeev Ram, their last match in the ATP Finals group round robin group stage is a must win.
Klaasen and Ram, seeded seventh will play Spaniards Feliciano Lopez and Marc Lopez, seeded four in the most important match of the week to date.
Both teams have won and lost a match, so a win will secure a second place in the group behind unbeaten Henri Kontinen (Finland) and John Peers (Australia), and a Saturday semi-final berth.
The light show, the clouds of dry ice, the music, the crowds, the intensity of the competition. Some debutants take a while to become adjusted to the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals. Others, though, thrive from the off.
Of the five new teams at this year’s ATP Finals, none had as fabulous as an introduction to the competition as Klaasen and Ram. They started the week with a surprise win over the top seeds and world number one all-French pair of Pierre-Hughes Herbert and Nicolas Mahut. Perhaps, you might wonder, there is something about London with brings out the best in Klaasen and Ram, who made the semi-finals of this year’s Wimbledon, beating Bob and Mike Bryan along the way.
But on Wednesday, Kontinen and Peers beat Klaasen and Ram in two sets to secure their semi-final spot.
So come Friday, it’s going to be a big outing at the O2 Arena against a Spanish duo who are as determined to make the last four.
“Both teams know what’s at stake on Friday. Our destiny is basically in our own hands. Rajeev and I are well prepared and looking forward to going out there and giving our all” said Klaasen.
