If, as anticipated, this is the conclusion of Salisbury and Skupski’s partnership, their year-long collaboration culminated in a sadly familiar experience of disappointment in a major final, echoing their defeats in the French Open and US Open title matches.
On those prior Grand Slam final occasions, Horacio Zeballos and Marcel Granollers were their conquerors, having also defeated them in the Wimbledon quarter-finals.
“We’ve enjoyed some wonderful moments, and we’ve also faced some difficult times,” Salisbury commented after their most recent setback on a significant stage.
On this particular occasion, the British duo were up against a team they had previously overcome in the round-robin stage. However, they were mindful that Patten and Heliovaara, aged 36, hadn’t been at their best during that prior encounter, and so they anticipated a far sterner challenge in the final.
That’s precisely how things transpired.
Following a sequence of 11 games where both teams held serve, Patten’s powerful hitting and a double fault from Salisbury placed Heliovaara and Patten on the cusp of securing the opening set, which they did when Skupski’s stretched volley landed in the net.
The crucial break in the second set occurred in the sixth game, when Skupski’s serve faltered, with a potent forehand from Heliovaara on break point proving too challenging to return.
Salisbury has previously tasted victory at this tournament twice, partnering with American Rajeev Ram, but this occasion wasn’t destined to be his and Skupski’s.
Patten had started the week by declaring that his engagement was “far more important” than the on-court result, but he ultimately experienced the best of both worlds.
Consecutive aces from Patten sealed the title, after which he etched a diamond ring and a love heart onto a courtside TV camera, marking the completion of a truly perfect week.
