MELBOURNE, Australia — Henry Patten and Harri Heliovaara made a stunning comeback after dropping a closely contested first set to clinch the Australian Open men’s doubles championship, defeating the Italian duo of Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori with a score of 6-7 (16), 7-6 (5), 6-3.
The Italian team faced a controversial moment while serving for the first set. During the match, chair umpire Thomas Sweeney called a foul against Vavassori for an infraction in the 10th game, ruling that his racket had crossed the plane of the net during a volley that would have secured the set point. This decision shifted the momentum, allowing Heliovaara and Patten to secure a break at 5-5. However, the duo failed to convert three set points in the ensuing 12th game and a staggering seven in a 24-minute, 34-point tiebreaker.
Despite the challenging start, they staged a remarkable recovery, managing to secure the next two sets to add to their Grand Slam accolades, which already included a title from Wimbledon. The first set was particularly intense, extending over 87 minutes and filled with dramatic exchanges. After Sweeney’s controversial call unsettled the Italian team for a brief moment, Bolelli and Vavassori fought back, ultimately saving 10 set points before seizing victory on the sixth opportunity with a forehand winner from Bolelli, claiming the tiebreaker.
Bolelli, who previously won the Australian Open doubles title in 2015 alongside Fabio Fognini, aimed to join an elite group of only three Italian men’s doubles teams to win a Grand Slam. Last year, Bolelli and Vavassori were runners-up at Melbourne Park, falling to Rohan Bopanna of India and Matthew Ebden of Australia, and also suffered defeat in the French Open final.
The Italian duo had a chance to contribute to an exciting weekend for Italian tennis, with top player Jannik Sinner set to defend his singles title against Alexander Zverev on Sunday. “It was a tough final—one of the best I’ve played,” Bolelli reflected at the presentation ceremony, which extended into the early hours of Sunday. “We tried really hard this year; another final. We played exceptionally well throughout the tournament. While we didn’t get the trophy, we’ll be back next year to give it another shot.”
Patten expressed gratitude towards Heliovaara, the 2007 Australian Open boys doubles champion, for his pivotal role in their Grand Slam win. He also thanked the crowd for their unwavering support throughout the match. “What an evening! Thanks to everyone who stuck around,” he exclaimed to Rod Laver Arena. “You all are a bit crazy, but I love you for it.”
