Heliovaara and Patten conquer Beijing’s tense finale

Under the Diamond Court’s floodlights, the match tie-break locked at 6-6, a heartbeat away from heartbreak or glory. The third seeds, Harri Heliovaara and Henry Patten, had stormed through the draw without losing a set, their Finnish-British synergy tested against the baseline thunder of singles standouts Karen Khachanov and Andrey Rublev. As tension coiled tighter, they unleashed three straight points—a volley winner slicing down the line, a crosscourt lob forcing a mishit—before cashing their third championship point after 90 minutes, clinching a 4-6, 6-3, 10-8 victory that echoed through the stands. ### Navigating drought with quiet resolve The path to this summit carried the scars of a grueling season, where their Australian Open major— their second as a team—had set a high bar only for frustration to follow. Quarterfinal fades and semifinal slips across hard-court swings had worn at their edges, turning every practice into a bid to reclaim the net-rushing poise that defined their early breakthroughs. Heliovaara, at 36, drew on his 10-10 finals record, bolstered by two ATP 500 crowns, while Patten, 29, leaned into his 6-4 championship tally to steady the ship amid the tour’s unforgiving rhythm. Beijing‘s outdoor hard courts, with their crisp bounce and whispering winds, amplified the need for layered defense, where deep returns disrupted the Russians’ one–two patterns and underspin slices kept balls low and unpredictable. The duo’s adaptability shone through, holding serve at a clip that preserved their flawless run, each point a small victory over doubt. As the crowd’s cheers swelled, this win felt like absolution, validating the miles logged far from family. ### Mastering power through tactical shifts Khachanov and Rublev brought singles menace to the doubles fray, their flat forehands ripping inside-out and serves booming down the T, pressuring the seeds from the outset. The first set evaporated 6-4 as the pair struggled to neutralize that raw force, but they pivoted in the second, Patten’s probing returns drawing errors and leveling at 6-3 with a flurry of unforced faults from the opponents. In the decider, from that 6-6 precipice, Heliovaara’s backhand slice skimmed the line, igniting the surge that flipped the script, their net poaching tightening to intercept desperate passes. The atmosphere thickened with each rally, Beijing’s fans roaring for the underdogs against the star power, the court’s shadows stretching as exhaustion battled adrenaline. This wasn’t just endurance; it was a psychological edge, sensing the Russians’ mounting irritation and weaving it into their crosscourt angles. Patten captured the release afterward, his voice laced with relief after months of close calls. “it’s been a while since we’ve won a tournament,” he added. “it’s been a lot of hard work and a lot of disappointing results. We’ve been pretty close. So we’re extremely excited.” ### Securing Turin with season’s second crown This triumph marks their second tour-level title of 2025, a hard-fought sequel to the Australian Open glory that now catapults them into the Nitto ATP Finals for the second straight year. As the fourth pair to qualify, they join Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool, Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos, plus Marcelo Arevalo and Mate Pavic in Turin from November 9-16, the year-end showcase where their all-court game could shine anew. Lifting the trophy under the evening sky, the emotional weight lifted, families’ absence bridged by this gleaming proof of perseverance. Looking ahead, the hard-court close beckons with renewed fire, their partnership forged sharper in Beijing’s forge, ready to chase deeper runs and defend under Turin’s glare. Details of their odyssey unfold further on the ATP Tour site.