Wimbledon 2024: Unseeded Henry Patten and Heliovaara save three championship points to win men's doubles crown

Add as a preferred source on Google

The unseeded pair of Britain's Henry Patten and Finland's Harri Heliovaara defeated Australian duo Max Purcell and Jordan Thompso 6-7(7), 7-6(8), 7-6(11-9) in an epic Wimbledon 2024 men's doubles final on Saturday, July 13.

Patten and Heliovaara, who clinched their first Grand Slam titles in an epic battle that captivated the Centre Court, only began their partnership three months ago in April, navigating through a challenging draw, defeating several seeded pairs to reach the final.

Their opponents for the title clash, Purcell and Thompson, were also in top form, and also ousted top seeds Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos in the semi-finals.

The final was a masterclass in serving, with neither team conceding a break of serve through the course of the match which lasted almost three hours. Each set witnessed a tense tiebreak, and the pressure reached its peak as Patten and Heliovaara saved three championship points in the second set to force a decider.

28-year-old Patten, a former Wimbledon statistician, and his 35-year-old Finnish partner edged out the Australians in a nail-biting finish, earning a standing ovation from the thrilled spectators.

"You're all amazing out there. It couldn't have been a closer match. I can't really remember what happened. I'm sure Harri's the same," Patten expressed in the post-match interview.

For Patten, this victory marked a personal milestone, having never advanced past the third round in a Grand Slam before. Heliovaara, who had previously reached the quarterfinals, was overcome with emotion, shedding tears of joy on the court.

"I admit we got a bit lucky today but sometimes we need luck to win a tennis match... The tears say it all, it's very emotional," Heliovaara said.

The first set was a showcase of serving masterclass, with the Australians losing just two points on serve. However, Patten and Heliovaara managed to match their intensity, pushing the set into a tiebreak.

Even though they made several errors, the British-Finnish duo displayed resilience, saving four of five set points before Purcell and Thompson secured the set with a narrowly wide return from Heliovaara.

The second set continued in similar fashion, with both teams holding serve. The Australians' ace count shot up, but Patten and Heliovaara did not concede any break point, eventually taking the set in another thrilling tiebreak.

In a cliffhanger finish, the final set tiebreak saw both pairs fighting for every point. Patten and Heliovaara showed nerves of steel as they saved three championship points to seal a historic win in the gentlemen's doubles final.