Harri Heliövaara and Lloyd Glasspool, who opened the grand slam season with great expectations, lost in the second round of the Australian Open. Heliövaara said he couldn’t pass or hit his palm properly because of a back spasm.
Ace of four Harri Heliövaaran and a British couple by Lloyd Glasspool last tennis season was amazing. Heliövaara rose from 64th to 11th in the world rankings. The duo played seven times in the ATP finals.
This year started with a win at the ATP tournament in Adelaide, and Heliövaara was already ninth in the world rankings. Currently, Heliövaara is 11th and Glasspool 12th.
Expectations for the season’s first grand slam tournament, the Australian Open, were therefore at their peak.
However, on Saturday, the duo’s road rose in the second round. Heliövaara and Glasspool suffered a loss to an unplaced pair
Heliövaara and Glasspool suffered a loss for a couple, the Australians Rinky for Hijikata and To Jason Kubler 6–3, 5–7, 2–6.
The sixth-placed Finnish-British couple only got to the real action one hour before midnight local time on Saturday.
Opponents are specialized in singles. According to the Tennisliitto press release, this was not unclear to anyone at the beginning, when Heliövaara and Glasspool stormed to a 4–0 lead with a double break. Heliövaara and Glasspool, who controlled the net and were convincing in the service and return game, eventually won the set 6–3.
In the second set, the Australians got into the game and took control of the match with their strong basic strokes, contrary to the expectations given by the opening set. Hijikata and Kubler broke Heliövaara’s pass in a 6–5 situation, winning the set 7–5.
At the end of the second set, Heliövaara started holding his back. The Finnish player took a medical break in the shelter of the locker room before the decisive set.
In the decisive set, the ecstatic Australians again broke Heliövaara’s pass and quickly took a 4–1 lead. Heliövaara’s struggles with his passing and movement became clear.
– The first feeling is disappointment, because we started really well. In the second round, unfortunately, I had a severe cramp in my lower back; I never recovered from that. I couldn’t pass and I couldn’t palm. We got close in the second set, but we can’t do anything. The opponents played well and did what they had to do, commented Heliövaara in the press release.
The Finnish player also sent greetings for the tournament schedule.
– We need to give feedback to the organizer, because we played yesterday morning at 11 o’clock and the next day we go past midnight. That body does not adapt to it easily; the risk of injury increases a lot. I hope to do better in this regard next time.
Source: Tennisliito announcement