Harri Heliövaara advanced to the Wimbledon final with Henry Patten.
Joel Sippola,
STT Sports
11.7. 18:26•Updated 11.7. 18:26
Four player Harri Heliövaara has advanced its match of Henry Patten with for the final match of the traditional Wimbledon tennis tournament. The two washed in their semi-final by Neal Skupskin and of Michael Venus directly in two sets with 6–4, 7–6.
Heliövaara made Finnish tennis history, as he is the first Finnish player to reach the Wimbledon final in doubles.
The first set of the match was patted on the names of the Finnish-British duo in about half an hour. The decision of the second round was again decided through a cut-off game.
The duo, who appeared coldly in the cut-off games already on Wednesday, sneaked away with a 4-0 score, gave one point to the opponents and once again cruised to a stylish victory.
Heliövaara fanned out like in their quarter-final match with devotion after the victory was decided.
– This was a really clinical and wonderful tennis match from us. During the entire match, it was such a nice feeling on the field. We were so close to what was happening on the field, Heliövaara told Urheilu.
Heliövaara was in flow mode throughout the match. The beginning was off to a perfect start.
– We broke the opponent’s pass right in the first game. It felt like we were hitting the ball with just the middle of the club. It’s a great feeling when you can leave the whole situation out and just play. It was such a flow situation that I don’t remember much about afterwards.
Easy calculation
Henri Kontinen won in 2016 by a British player by Heather Watson with the mixed doubles of the Wimbledon tournament. The following year they also played in the finals of the tournament, but that time they bowed out.
Kontinen won the 2017 Australian Open doubles tournament of John Peers with. Now Heliövaara is trying to join Kontinen in the same Finnish club.
Heliövaara is playing the best tennis of his career at the grand slam level. Even the semifinal spot was his first at the grand slam level.
– On some level we knew that this was possible, although at the same time this seemed so unbelievable. Our cooperation with Henry is going great. Henry and I said after the first (Wimbledon) match that there were five left. Each time it has decreased from it. One more left.
At the parade ground
In the final match on Saturday, Heliövaara and Patten will meet by Max Purcell and by Jordan Thompson.
The prize money for the finalist couple is a total of around 392,000 euros, i.e. just under 200,000 euros for each. If the two fight for victory in the final, the prize amount is already almost doubled. Then the couple would share a pot worth around 772,000 euros.
The final match will be played on the parade ground, on the center field.
– There are so many wonderful tennis courts in the world that I don’t think the conditions will feel so different. I would very much like for us to train there earlier, but if we can’t, I don’t see it as a problem at all. We will definitely enjoy being on the center field.
Story updated at 21:21: Heliövaara’s comments added.