Harry Heliovaara and Henry Patten beat Joe Salisbury and Neal Skupski 7-5 6-3 to claim their first Nitto ATP Finals title.
Salisbury and Skupski saved a total of three break points across the second and sixth games. Heliovaara and Patten earned the break on their second set point in the 12th game to close out the opening set 7-5.
Heliovaara and Patten broke serve in the sixth game to take a 4-2 lead and held serve at 30 in the seventh game for 5-2. Salisbury and Skupski saved two match points in the eighth game to reduce the deficit to 3-5. Heliovaara and and Patten served out the win on their first match point in the ninth game.
Heliovaara and Patten avenged their defeat against Salisbury and Skupski in the round-robin stage earlier this week to improve their win-loss record in the teams’ head-to-head series.
For the first time in the Nitto ATP Finals history the team that lost to their final opponent in the round-robin stage came back to win the championships match.
Heliovaara and Patten beat Australian Open finallists Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori in the semifinal on Saturday.
“It is hard to describe. The whole week I have looked at the list of winners, with huge winners and I thought, if there was ever going to be my name on that I am going to be so proud. To be there next to Henry is unreal”, said Heliovaara.
