GB's Patten & Finn Heliovaara reach doubles final

Australian Open 2025

Dates: 12-26 January Venue: Melbourne Park

Coverage: Live radio commentary on Tennis Breakfast from 07:00 GMT on BBC 5 Sports Extra, plus live text commentaries on the BBC Sport website and app

Britain's Henry Patten and Finnish team-mate Harri Heliovaara came through a match tie-break to reach their first Australian Open men's doubles final together.

The Wimbledon champions held their nerve to beat Germany's Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz 6-4 3-6 7-6 (10-7).

It is a second major final for Patten and Heliovaara in just their fourth Grand Slam together, having first joined forces in April 2024.

The sixth seeds will face Italian third seeds Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori in Saturday's final.

Patten, who had not gone beyond the third round at a Slam before partnering with Heliovaara, said: "I'm just trying to ride the wave. I can't stop smiling at the moment which, for people who know me, is pretty unusual.

"Usually I'm a classic grumpy Brit. I'm just trying to enjoy every moment and taking it all in with Harri."

Heliovaara stopped playing professionally between 2013 and 2017 because of an autoimmune disease that affects his spine, instead working in finance during that period.

Heliovaara said: "If you ask me five, six years ago if this was possible while I was making Powerpoints and Excel sheets in the office, I would have laughed.

"I haven't regretted a single day [of coming back]."

The pair claimed a thrilling victory at Wimbledon last year, just three months after teaming up.

Heliovaara initially declined a partnership with Patten but, since winning an ATP title in Marrakech in their first tournament together, they have not looked back.

Neither player had contested a major final before their Wimbledon triumph last year. Nine months after linking up, they have established themselves as one of the leading teams in the world.

On the semi-final victory, Heliovaara said: "That brought memories from Wimbledon.

"We won two matches in the third set match tie-break at Wimbledon last summer and we were able to do it again here. That's a very good sign."

Bolelli and Vavassori came from behind to defeat Sweden's Andre Goransson and Dutchman Sem Verbeek 2-6 6-3 6-4.

On their final opponents, Heliovaara said: "They show true Italian heart on court so we've got to bring our best and stay as calm as we did today."