If this turns out to be Salisbury and Skupski’s last match together, as expected, their year-long partnership ended in a familiar feeling of disappointment in a major final, having also been defeated in the title matches of the French Open and the US Open.
They defeated Horacio Zeballos and Marcel Granollers in both Grand Slam finals and in the Wimbledon quarter-finals.
“We’ve had some great times, we’ve had some tough times,” Salisbury said after their latest defeat on a big stage.
This time the British duo faced a team they had beaten in the round-robin stage, but they were wary that Patten and 36-year-old Heliovaara were off their game on that occasion and expected a bigger test in the final.
That’s how it played out.
After the first eleven games went to serve, big shots from Patten and a double fault from Salisbury brought Heliovaara and Patten to the brink of the opening set, which was secured when Skupski’s volley down the stretch found the net.
The decisive break in the second set came in game six when Skupski’s serve gave way, a fizzing forehand from Heliovaara on break point too hot to get back into the game.
Salisbury has been a two-time champion at this event alongside American Rajeev Ram, but this would not be his and Skupski’s day.
Patten started the week by saying his engagement was “so much more important” than the outcome on the court, but that he got to experience the best of both worlds.
Back-to-back aces from Patten clinched the title, before he signed a diamond ring and love heart on an on-court TV camera, completing a perfect week.
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