Klaasen, Ram exit Wimbledon

RACQUET READY: South Africa’s Raven Klaasen and his US doubles partner Rajeev Ram were knocked out of Wimbledon yesterday in a thrilling semi-final. Here they talk tactics in their first round match of the 2016 Australian Open in Melbourne in January Picture: GETTY IMAGES
RACQUET READY: South Africa’s Raven Klaasen and his US doubles partner Rajeev Ram were knocked out of Wimbledon yesterday in a thrilling semi-final. Here they talk tactics in their first round match of the 2016 Australian Open in Melbourne in January Picture: GETTY IMAGES
By Tiso Black Star Group DIGITAL

South African tennis star Raven Klaasen and his US partner Rajeev Ram bowed out of the Wimbledon men’s doubles tournament yesterday in a nail-biting match.

Klaasen, who was born in King William’s Town, and Ram went down to Julien Benneteau and Edouard Roger-Vasselins, both of France.

The final score was 7-5, 6-4, 5-7, 7-6 (7/5) in a little over three hours.

Klaasen was runner-up at the men’s doubles in the 2014 Australian Open, and yesterday was the furthest he has ever advanced at Wimbledon.

In good news for South African tennis, it was also announced yesterday that Klaasen has been included in the South African Davis Cup team. It will boost the team’s chances of reaching the third round of the Euro-Africa Group 2.

SA captain Marcos Ondruska will lead the four-man team to face Lithuania in Kaunas for the second round tie to be played from July 15 to 17.

Klaasen will be the most senior member of the SA team that will also include Tucker Vorster‚ Ruan Roelofse and promising 19-year-old Lloyd Harris.

“Raven’s experience should prove vital in leading this team through what we expect to be a closely contested tie‚” said an excited Ondruska. The tie against Lithuania will also give the SA team a chance to avenge their 2-3 defeat at the Irene Country Club in the last tie between the two nations two years ago.

The SA team will be full of confidence after they convincingly beat Luxembourg 5-0 in the first round ties at Irene in March.

Klaasen will partner up with Roelofse in the doubles rubber‚ while Harris and Vorster are likely to do duty as the singles players.

“I’m looking to Ruan and Raven merging well together and bringing the important doubles rubber South Africa’s way‚” Ondruska said. — Tiso Black Star Group Digital

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