Henry Patten wins second grand slam doubles title after Australian Open epic
Henry Patten wins second grand slam doubles title after Australian Open epic
Share:
Wimbledon champions Patten and Heliovaara clinched more silverware while Alfie Hewett won the men’s wheelchair title. Britain’s Henry Patten claimed his second grand slam doubles title alongside Finnish partner Harri Heliovaara in a late-night epic at the Australian Open.
The pair did not walk out on Rod Laver Arena until 10.30pm local time after a lengthy women’s singles final and it took until beyond midnight for the first set of their final against Italian third seeds Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori to conclude.
![[Alfie Hewett, left, and Tokito Oda pose with their trophies (Manish Swarup/AP)]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/01/25/09/25-bfe4b01c329e4e388879ac69f153fa79.jpg)
They were edged out in a 34-point tie-break after having 10 set points but put it behind them to clinch a 6-7 (16) 7-6 (5) 6-3 victory just before 1.45am. It cements Patten and Heliovaara as one of the very best pairs in the world after winning their maiden slam title at Wimbledon last summer.
“Bloody hell,” said Patten after collecting the trophy. “What an evening. Firstly I want to thank everybody who stayed out here and watched us play. You guys are a little bit crazy but I love you for it. “What an amazing match. There shouldn’t really have been a loser. Now for Harri, what a journey we’ve been on. It’s really special to share the court with you, I wouldn’t like to do it with anyone else and let’s keep going.”.
There was drama in the 10th game of the opening set when, with Bolelli serving for it, Patten and Heliovaara successfully challenged a Vavassori volley where the Italian had struck the ball by leaning over the net. I want to thank everybody who stayed out here and watched us play. You guys are a little bit crazy but I love you for it.
