Harri Heliövaara and Henry Patten advanced to the third round of the Wimbledon tennis tournament.
Harri Heliövaara and his British counterpart Henry Patten advanced to the third round of the Wimbledon grand slam tennis tournament in doubles. The duo beat Spain in the second round on Friday by Pedro Martinez and Jaume Munari directly in two installments.
According to Heliövaara, the Spanish duo made winning difficult. In addition, Heliövaara and Patten took a while to adjust to today’s match, which was different from the opening match of the tournament.
– In the first round, we had the role of the underdog and a clear foursome team against us. We knew what to do.
– Today there was a little more uncertainty about how the opponent will play. Then when we found the right way to play and got the energy going at the end of the first period, we showed that we were the better team.
The weather also gave the match its own challenge.
– It was windy, cloudy and rainy most of the time. I’m obviously used to it and I think that Harri, as a Finn, is also very used to it, Patten said with a laugh and continued that despite getting used to it, the conditions were not optimal.
Heliövaara has also advanced to the third round at Wimbledon twice before. Now the next step would be to take.
– Now there is a strong belief that we have not come here to win one or two matches. The mental charge is to go far, there for another week, and that helps us. Of course we take care of our body and mind, we probably play a bit of mixed doubles in between and then we’re in full swing when the games continue.
Exact rules for dressing
The Wimbledon tournament is known for the fact that the organizers are very particular about the clothing of the competitors. Players must wear all white, and large sponsor logos must not be visible.
– That is a special feature of this tournament. Yes, on the other hand, it brings a special feeling here, that the players are also required to dress in a certain way, says Heliövaara.
The Finn praises the rule material sent by the organizers as being comprehensive and says that he got to know it well. However, he has seen up close how closely the instructions are followed.
– Today, for example, my partner was told that in the next match the underwear must be white. You can see too much if there are colors.
“You have to move like a cat”
Of the four grand slam tournaments, only Wimbledon is played on a grass court. The platform also affects the competitors’ equipment, as shoes with small studs on the bottom are used on the grass field. Heliövaara describes the shoes as somewhat similar to soccer shoes intended for sand fields.
In addition to the fact that the competition organizers require the shoes to be white, they are also careful with the pieces.
– It is also very carefully regulated how many of them can be and how much they can go up on the side of the shoe. They must only be on the bottom of the shoe, says Heliövaara.
Although there are very few grass courts in Finland, Heliövaara feels that he got a good grip on the platform at Wimbledon. He counts that he slipped only twice in a couple of weeks.
– Yes, they (slips) always happen sometimes, and especially in evening matches, when the moisture starts to condense on the surface of the field. You have to move like a cat. That’s what my coach taught me when I was young.