The doubles specialist also trusts Finland’s victory over Argentina in tennis’ Davis Cup.
Harri Heliövaara enjoys being a tennis professional and finds the future prospects of his career encouraging. The doubles specialist ended the competitive season with his English pair by Lloyd Glasspool with as the fifth best duo in the world. The two-year collaboration will continue at least next season.
“The next goal is to win the ATP-1000 tournament and the grand slam. Through that, there is an opportunity to increase the ranking even further”, says Heliövaara in an interview with STT.
Heliövaara, 33, and Glasspool will travel to Australia for the beginning of the tennis season in January. The season starts with two races in Adelaide.
“We will quickly go to London to train. The Australian Open is then the first big goal”, confirms Heliövaara.
With tennis players is his favorite platform. But preferences may change.
“We have been very successful on the indoor courts. On fast platforms”, Heliövaara punted.
The finished season changed the settings. It even surprised, but pleasantly so.
“Before this year, I would have said that the mass field is the most difficult for us, but so what. For example, we won the tournament in Hamburg”, Heliövaara is glowing about the success that produced the biggest ATP points pot.
Glasspool enjoys one type of court in particular.
“The grass surface is of course special to Lloyd, because he has been used to playing on it since he was young. Ulkokova is where we have the most variation,” sums up Heliövaara.
In the current season, Heliövaara rarely made it to the family’s Marjaniemi home in Helsinki.
“There have been 237 travel days this year. I hope that the number will decrease a little for next year, 200 would make me happy,” Heliövaara enthuses.
Year has been financially abnormal for Heliövaara. He earned 150,000 euros for the climax of the season, the semi-final place in the ATP Finals tournament in November. In his career, he has collected a total of more than 850,000 prize dollars, of which a whopping 560,000 bucks this year.
“Now the cash flow has gone in a completely different direction, but at the same time it is a well-deserved result of the work done for a long time. It’s part of professional sports”, Heliövaara reflects.
“However, I never make my choices based on the prize amount. ATP has a pension accumulation system, and this was the first year that I have been counted into it,” Heliövaara continues.
One spot of light flashes brightly in the tennis professional’s competition calendar already. Finland will face Argentina in the Davis Cup in Espoo at the beginning of February. Heliövaara is looking forward to the qualifying match, the winner of which advances to the DC final tournament.
“Argentina is traditionally a tough tennis country. However, we are Emil’s [Ruusuvuori] with in great shape and we have the seams to knock down an opponent of their level. I’m looking forward to it,” Heliövaara said about his expectations.
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