Veteran Sam Stosur will feature in the women’s doubles final after partnering Shuai Zhang to a 7-5 4-6 7-5 semi-final victory over Barbora Strycova and Marketa Vondrousova on Wednesday night.
Stosur and her Chinese partner Zhang were in deep trouble early in the contest but a run of six straight games saw them take the opening set on Rod Laver Arena.
They kept the momentum in the second set and looked on course for a straight-sets triumph before the Czech pairing produced a fightback of their own to level on one-set all.
The third set was another topsy-turvy affair as Stosur and Zhang led 4-1 before Strycova and Vondrousova wrestled back the momentum to set up a thrilling finish.
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But Stosur and Zhang held firm to progress to the final after over two and a half hours on court.
“That was amazing, that was a really tough match,” Stosur said.
“I think Shuai picked it up at the end, she won if for us so I’m just so pleased that we’re in a final here in Australia.
“… We’re on a bit of a roll so hopefully we can keep it going in the final.
“That would be amazing for us and we’re playing really well so we might as well give it a crack.”
Stosur and Zhang will face second seeds Timea Babos and Kristina Mladenovic, who knocked them out of the 2018 US Open at the semi-final stage, in Friday’s final.