HENRY Patten is aiming to recreate the success of his local Ipswich Town as he continues his impressive run at Wimbledon.
The tennis star from Manningtree, aged 28, advanced to the men’s doubles last 32 with another straight sets victory alongside his Finnish partner Harri Heliövaara.
Defeating Spaniards Pedro Martínez and Jaume Munar on Court 9, Patten, currently ranked 43rd in the world, secured his second win at SW19 in just 48 hours.
Having been inspired by Ipswich Town’s unexpected promotion to the Premier League last season, Patten is now hoping to match their achievements by reaching the last 16.
“It’s been an amazing week – reaching the third round at Wimbledon feels surreal,” he said.
“We’re delighted with our progress and these are the best results of my career so far.
“Partnering with Harri, an experienced player, has been a great learning experience for me. I’m thrilled to be on this journey with him.
“Ipswich is my team – I’ve supported them for as long as I can remember, so it’s fantastic to see them do well.”
Patten and Heliövaara, aged 35, began playing together earlier this year and claimed victory in their first tournament in Marrakech.
After defeating fifth seeds Andrea Vavassori and Simone Bolelli in the opening round, the duo maintained their momentum to stay in contention at the All England Club.
With just four games separating him from success, Patten remains focused on taking things one match at a time ahead of his upcoming third round matchup.
“There are no easy matches at Grand Slams and this is new territory for me,” he explained.
“We set high expectations for ourselves and feel the pressure to perform in every match, but our focus remains on the task at hand.”
To stay up-to-date with the latest news from the British grass court season, visit the LTA website.
