In a thrilling men's doubles final at Wimbledon on Saturday, Britain's Henry Patten and Finland's Harri Heliovaara emerged victorious against Australians Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson, securing their maiden grand slam titles with a hard-fought 6-7(7), 7-6(8), 7-6(11-9) win.
Patten and Heliovaara, who only began their partnership three months ago, defied the odds by defeating seeded pairs throughout the tournament. The runner-up Australian duo had previously eliminated top seeds Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos in the semifinals.
Remarkably, the match had no breaks of serve as each set went into a tiebreak and with the pressure mounting with each game, Patten and Heliovaara saved three championship points in the second set to force a decider.
After a grueling battle lasting nearly three hours on Centre Court, Patten, who once worked as a Wimbledon statistician, and Heliovaara prevailed over the Australians in an epic encounter, earning a standing ovation from the crowd.
Despite Patten never having advanced beyond the third round at a Grand Slam and Heliovaara reaching only two quarterfinals previously, the emotions overwhelmed the Finnish player, who was seen crying on the court following their triumph.
The first set was a closely contested affair, with the Australian pair dominating on serve, losing just two points. However, Patten and Heliovaara matched their opponents' level.
The tiebreak initially favored Purcell and Thompson, who gained five set points due to errors from the British-Finnish duo. Nonetheless, Patten displayed composure under pressure, saving four of those set points.
Purcell and Thompson managed to find their groove once again, clinching the set when Heliovaara's return landed just outside the court.
The Australian duo continued their impressive serving performance in the second set, with their ace count rising. Patten and Heliovaara struggled to find a way to break their opponents' serve, and the set remained on serve until it reached 6-5.
At 6-5, Purcell and Thompson had their first opportunity to break and win the championship on Heliovaara's serve. However, Patten came to his partner's aid at the net, hitting a brilliant volleyed winner to push the set into another tiebreak.
In the tense tiebreak, Patten and Heliovaara managed to save two championship points, engaging in some nerve-wracking rallies. They eventually secured the second set, forcing a decider as the crowd erupted in cheers, leaving the Australians perplexed during the changeover.
The final set saw both pairs holding their serves, with more extended rallies as neither team wanted to be the first to falter. In the end, the relatively unknown pair of Patten and Heliovaara emerged victorious, collapsing to their knees in celebration.
