Wimbledon 2024: ‘Couldn’t be closer’ – Harri Heliovaara and Henry Patten save match points to win men’s doubles title – Eurosport

Britain’s Henry Patten became a Wimbledon champion alongside doubles partner Harri Heliovaara after edging a thrilling final-set tie-break against Australian duo Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson in the men’s doubles final.  

Patten, appearing in his first Slam final, looked stunned and Heliovaara was left in tears amid raucous celebrations on Centre Court when they clinched a 6-7(7) 7-6(8) 7-6(9) victory.

They became the first unseeded pair to win the men’s doubles at Wimbledon in 10 years.

“It couldn’t have been a closer match,” said Patten. “I can’t really remember what happened to be honest, and I’m sure Harri is the same. 

“For me the most special is to do it in front of so many people who have come over. So many of my family members, my best friends, thank you all.”

Patten and Heliovaara saved three championship points in the second set before launching an extraordinary comeback in a match lasting two hours and 49 minutes.

“I admit we got a little lucky today but sometimes you need luck to win a tennis match,” Heliovaara said. “We will definitely enjoy this. The tears say it all, it’s very emotional.”

Patten and Heliovaara have enjoyed huge success together since first teaming up in April, winning 29 of their 33 matches together.

Their first major appearance as a partnership at Roland-Garros last month ended in disappointment when injury to Heliovaara forced their withdrawal, but they sealed their biggest victory yet over 15th seeds Thompson and 2022 champion Purcell.

World No. 1 Diede De Groot clinched her sixth Wimbledon title in the ladies’ wheelchair singles to add to her glittering CV.

The top seed defeated fellow Dutch player Aniek Van Koot 6-4 6-4 in 83 minutes to continue a remarkable run of dominance with her 162nd win in her last 164 matches.

“I’m just happy to have another one,” said the 27-year-old after claiming a 15th consecutive major title.

“This year has been a little bit different than other years where I’ve basically been unbeaten, and then this year I was beaten.

“I know that all of these players are trying their absolute best to beat me, and Aniek was playing very well. I think everyone saw that she was doing the right things.”

De Groot now has 23 major singles titles to her name overall, along with 19 in doubles, for a total Grand Slam career haul of 42.

Britain’s Andy Lapthorne and his Israeli partner Guy Sasson fell to defeat in the quad wheelchair doubles final against Dutch duo Sam Schroder and Niels Vink.

The top seeds claimed a 3-6 7-6(3) 6-3 win in a two-hour contest to claim a third consecutive Wimbledon title.

“I think halfway through the match I wasn’t sure if we would be able to pull it off but I’m very happy that we did it in the end,” Schroder said.

“It was a very tough match.”