Did Heliovaara/Patten Spoil the Home Party and Secure a Spot in the Doubles Final at ATP Finals?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Heliovaara and Patten reached the ATP Finals after overcoming previous disappointments.
- The pair displayed excellent teamwork and skill in their semifinal match.
- They won decisively against Bolelli and Vavassori with a score of 6-4, 6-3.
- Heliovaara and Patten will compete for their eighth title together.
- The finals will feature an all-British clash.
Turin, Nov 15 (NationPress) Harri Heliovaara and Henry Patten overcame past disappointments at the ATP Finals, with the Finnish-British duo delivering an impressive performance to defeat Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori and secure their spot in the finals on Saturday afternoon.
After experiencing a semifinal loss in their debut at this prestigious event last year, Heliovaara and Patten triumphed with a decisive 6-4, 6-3 victory against their Italian rivals. The duo showcased an exceptional performance, effectively dampening the enthusiastic crowd at Inalpi Arena.
“We had to dig deep yesterday, but we were ready for this semifinal,” Heliovaara shared. “We truly enjoyed being on the court. Our experience played a crucial role, and we executed our game plan perfectly,” he added.
Patten’s advance to the final underscores Great Britain’s stronghold in the doubles segment of this year’s ATP Finals. On Sunday, he and Heliovaara will face an all-British team in the championship match: either the top-seeded Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool, or Joe Salisbury and Neal Skupski.
Heliovaara and Patten converted their only break point of the first set at 1-1, 30/40, to take the lead in the semifinal. They also broke serve decisively in the third game of the second set. Patten, who began the week in Turin by getting engaged to his partner Ellie Stone, faced a double fault at 3-2, 40/30, which allowed Bolelli and Vavassori a chance to break at Deuce. However, he quickly regained composure, serving confidently to clinch the game.
This moment proved to be the last of concern for Heliovaara and Patten on serve, as they soon sealed their victory in just 76 minutes, winning 87 percent (20/23) of points on their first serves, according to Infosys ATP Stats. They now hold a 3-1 head-to-head advantage over Bolelli and Vavassori, having also won their Australian Open semifinal clash earlier this year.
When asked about their returning performance, Patten remarked, “A lot of practice was involved. There’s no secret really. They are both excellent servers, and we’ve had challenges returning against them previously. Sometimes luck plays a part too. No secrets, just hard work and repetition.”
The 36-year-old Heliovaara and 29-year-old Patten will vie for their eighth tour-level title as a pair on Sunday, aiming for their second indoor title of the year, having previously won the Paris Masters title earlier this month.