Cape Town - They've risen to a world ranking of sixth and ended the year by beating the top two men’s doubles pairings in the ATP World Tour Finals in London recently, so South Africa’s Raven Klaasen and his American partner Rajeev Ram are setting their sights on a Gland Slam win in 2017.
They are already in the Antipodes ahead of the Australian Open which kicks off in a fortnight’s time, and the focus will be on honing their game and mental fortitude in an effort to take on and beat the best.
Short of growing 15cm in the next couple of months, Klaasen can’t really do much in the physical stakes, as his opponents average around 1.92m. Ram is 1.93m tall, and although the in-form Capetonian stands a modest 1.8m in his socks, they make a slick, skilful doubles team.
Klaasen is world renowned for his agility and speed on court and he brings a certain finesse to his powerhouse partner, Ram. The duo have found a good match in each other, with a balance between much-needed power and flair. Power has progressively dominated the game more, but in doubles, specialists need to possess a combination of power and soft hands to control the fast and reactive net play, which is not a strict requirement in the singles game. The pair have done well, with three finals and two ATP titles this year. Klaasen says, “Similar analytical thinking and our communication on and off court are among the reasons we have been successful.”
Klaasen made a semi-final appearance at Wimbledon last year with Ram, who in August won silver at the Rio Olympics with Venus Williams. The South African is 34 and his partner 32, but they are relatively young compared to America’s Bryan twins, Bob and Mike, who are now 38. The Americans hold 112 doubles titles, 16 of which are Grand Slams.
While Klaasen and Ram are on the cusp, winning a Slam requires a fantastic fortnight, as they would have to win six matches in a row and beat other contenders like the current world top pair, Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares.
The Englishman and the Brazilian teamed up for their first season in 2016 and it has proved to be a successful partnership, as they won the Australian and US Opens.
Jamie Murray has done what his younger brother Andy could not achieve in singles by winning these Slams in the same year. Jamie Murray was also crucial in Team GB grasping the Davis Cup (playing doubles with Andy) in 2015.
Interestingly, Klaasen and Ram are tied in head-to-head matches with the number one duo at two wins apiece. And the SA-US team hold a 3-0 head-to-head win record against the Bryans.
The doubles format has become increasingly exciting for crowds, with more people attending the fast-paced and shorter matches due to a scoring system which has made matches shorter.
It has created a new dynamic, as pairs take more risks which can result in greater rewards. It has also seen a few more players dabble in doubles as it is not as physically exhausting to compete in both singles and doubles within the same tournament week.
However, the top 10 doubles players in the world tend to specialise and hone their skills towards the net game and the old-school notion of attacking the net compared to modern baseliners in the singles game, which makes for longer rallies
The festive season held no rest for Klaasen, as preparation for the Australian and US Opens took priority. These Slams are on hard court, which is the dominant surface in South Africa and his personal favourite. Klaasen has also welcomed the addition of former SA doubles specialist Jeff Coetzee into his team as a touring coach.