Harri Heliövaara and his new partner Henry Patten get to enjoy the know-how of the Great Britain coaching team again.
Harri Heliövaaran a new phase of tennis career is about to begin.
The Finnish foursome’s three-month stint with the Australian of John Peers with ended on Sunday in the opening round of the ATP Masters tournament in Miami when they lost For Marcelo Arevalo and For Mate Pavic 6–7, 6–7.
– To be honest, this was a relief, and it brought more enthusiasm to play, knowing that there are new winds when the mass season starts in a week, says Heliövaara.
Heliövaara will play in the Marrakech ATP250 tournament in Morocco at the beginning of April with his new partner, Great Britain of Henry Patten with.
Heliövaara used to play the British for a long time by Lloyd Glasspool with, but the couple decided to end their cooperation at the end of the year. The Finn played with Peers at the beginning of the year, but the results were modest.
Heliövaara and Peers played together in seven tournaments. They missed the first round four times. The pair’s best performance was reaching the semifinals of the Acapulco ATP tournament.
“Success and team play were not quite what I hoped for, and when, in terms of ranking, getting to the big games together in the spring seems quite impossible, I wanted to open the deck and find new enthusiasm for mass season games,” Heliövaara wrote in his blog.
Heliövaara is looking forward to getting back to the British stable, whose coaching and conditions he was able to benefit from with Glasspool.
The 198-centimeter Patten, 27, is a reaching left-handed player who complements the game of the ten-centimeter shorter and right-handed Heliövaara. Patten is strong in passing and good at the net.
– He is a really reliable and calm guy who surely has his best years ahead of him. I know the man reasonably well. We have practiced and played against each other on the tour. I think it has potential for anything. It can be a really good team, says Heliövaara.
Patten is ranked 63rd in the doubles world rankings. Heliövaara, who was ranked seventh at the best, is ranked 38th. The pair plans to gain momentum from lower-level ATP tournaments.
– Our joint rank is a little lower, which I’m used to. Of course, my own ranking has also gone down during these six months. It’s a natural way to play a few smaller ATP tournaments and pick up speed from there, but I don’t regret it at all. Through the wins, we aim to return to the bigger stakes.
Helövaara was interviewed by Helen Scott-Smith.