An important opening hold by Henry Patten in a high-quality first game of set three, the Briton holding his nerve to serve his way to safety from 30-30.

The advantage of serving first and putting pressure on their opponents could be a significant one for Patten and Harri Heliovaara in this final set.

Anyone else a bit disappointed they didn't try and beat the 34 points they played in the first tie-break?

No?

After two hours and 25 minutes, past 1am in the morning in Melbourne, we are off to a deciding set.

We won't be having an extra long tie-break this time!

Britain's Henry Patten and Finnish team-mate Harri Heliovaara strike with their first set point to take us into a final set on Rod Laver Arena.

There really is nothing to separate these two teams.

Each player is doing their job on serve and there are few free points being handed out.

The Italian fans remaining in the crowd are making noise at the change of ends as the clock hits 1am in Melbourne.

Nobody slipped up on serve during the set, and that is how we have started the tie-break as Henry Patten and Harri Heliovaara hand back serving duties with their noses in front.

It had long felt inevitable, and now it is a reality.

After a 34-point decider in set one, we're off to another tie-break!

These fellas are really desperate to get to this tie-break and slog it out for another 30+ points.

At least, that's the impression they're giving anyway.

Simone Bolelli's latest game lasts just 100 seconds, an opening ace paving the way to a trouble-free love hold.

And just like that, the Italian pair are a game away from victory.

Whatever you can do...

Henry Patten crashes down a couple of aces on his way to clinching a quick hold of his own as we continue to race through these games in set two.

That took him 150 seconds, so not quite a 'Vavassori'.

There's no hanging about from Andrea Vavassori, either.

Another serving masterclass by the Italian sees him hold serve in just 87 seconds.

I've just watched that and I'm still not quite sure how that is even possible.

On we go, then.

Good signs here for Henry Patten and Harri Heliovaara.

After putting pressure on their opponents, Heliovaara holds to love to immediately shift the pressure back on to the other side of the net.

The Italians escape with a couple of quick points to edge back in front, and are now just two games from victory.

That could be a very significant hold.

Shaking off a double fault, Simone Bolelli appears on course to record the latest straightforward hold in this set at 40-15.

But Henry Patten and Harri Heliovaara dig in and force deuce. This is as big an opening as we've had in this set. Can they take it?

Henry Patten swiftly boxes off a hold of serve to love following a few errors from the racquets of Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori. That will do very nicely as we build towards the business end of this set.

Another very impressive hold by Andrea Vavassori who, after holding to love in his first game in this set, concedes just the single point in his second to keep the Italian duo on track.

Another opportunity for a breakthrough passes by for Henry Patten and Harri Heliovaara, but there should be a fair few more to come the way this match is going.

Over to Harri Heliovaara to try and serve his team level again in this must-win second set, and the Brit-Finn double act make light work of it too. A hold of serve to 15, with a streak of four unanswered points brings us to two games apiece.

We saw in the first set how closely matched these two doubles pairings are. Are we destined for another tie-break?

Simone Bolelli whips a wonderful forehand out of reach from the back of the court for 15-15 but the Italian is being made to really work for this latest game.

Henry Patten and Harri Heliovaara follow to 40-30 but that's as close as they'll get to a breakthrough this time.

Henry Patten does well to stay alive at the back of the court and ultimately save a break point as Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori look to apply immediate pressure here.

The Briton's serve is receiving an intense examination but, after Harri Heliovaara lands an overhead, the Finn volleys in at the net to secure the hold.

Right then. Caught your breath after that ridiculous tie-break?

In a much more low-key start to the second set, Andrea Vavassori provides an efficient opener with a love hold for the Italians.

The Italians have broken the deadlock and have taken the first set on Rod Laver Arena.

Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori both let out a massive roar towards their coaching team after seeing out the 34-point tie-break.

Bolelli hit the winner with a blistering forehand down the middle of the left tramline. Massive.

It has just reached midnight in Melbourne, and this first set tie-break is still going on!

You get the feeling that whoever misses out on taking this first set is going to find it hard to pick themselves back up.

There really isn't much to separate the two pairs at all, particularly now that Henry Patten and Harri Heliovaara have come into their stride.