SYDNEY TENNIS CLASSIC

January 11, 2022

Harri Heliovaara

Press Conference

NEDOVYESOV-QURESHI/Glasspool-Heliovaara

6-7, 6-3, 10-7

THE MODERATOR: Could you give us your general thoughts on the match today.

HARRI HELIOVAARA: All in all, it wasn't a bad match at all. I think we improved a lot from last week. We did many things right.

For one-and-a-half sets we were even the better team, but then the opponents used their, I don't know, good confidence more or less with final and got an important break in the middle of the second set. That kind of turned the match around.

(Questions in native language.)

Q. I'd like to know, I have two questions. Was there ever a plan to play with Henri Kontinen in the Australian Open? And if you can tell me if he's going to play the Australian Open?

HARRI HELIOVAARA: Well, of course I always ask him to play a long time before the tournament. I would really love to play with him, like we played in the US Open together last year.

This time he wasn't sure if he wants to travel here. He told me that quite early actually, and I think he hasn't entered the doubles, so I don't think he's coming unfortunately at all.

Q. Are you in contact with him?

HARRI HELIOVAARA: Yeah, every now and then we send some messages. Now he's been doing something else than playing tennis, I understood. Not so much. But I hope to see him on the practice courts someday.