There are two kinds of impossible task in the world. There is the kind of impossible task which indeed proves impossible; and there is the kind of impossible task which Barbora Krejcikova faced in her Wimbledon semi-final against 2022 champion Elena Rybakina, which was impossible until the No.31 seed gloriously proved otherwise.

Three long years since her 2021 victory at Roland-Garros set the Czech on the path to the world No.2 slot, Krejcikova came into this grass court swing without so much as one completed win to her name since January. During that same period, Rybakina was busy racking up seven Tour semi-finals, five finals and a trio of titles.

Just once in five previous matches this Fortnight had Rybakina conceded more than five games, when world No.72 Laura Siegemund denied her an entire set way back in the second round. Usefully, the German is Krejcikova's doubles partner – did the Czech consult her mate for advice?

Rybakina was the scorching hot favourite for this match and the title too. Krejcikova had never previously defeated a top five player in any Grand Slam, and matters looked dire when she stood at 0-4 after 19 minutes. But after gaining respectability in the first set, she edged nervily into the decider, before grasping an extraordinary victory 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.

In a final predicted by surely no one, Krejcikova will face the No.7 seed Jasmine Paolini on Saturday for The Championship.

“I never dreamed I would be playing in the singles final here,” the Czech said. “I’m just super proud about my fighting spirit today. I started to be in the zone and I didn’t want to leave it.

“I worked with Jana Novotna [the late 1998 Wimbledon champion]. She told me a lot of stories about her journey here and how she tried to win. She is definitely my inspiration. I fight for every single ball because I think that’s what she’d want me to do.”

Then her voice broke and she had to turn away before composing herself to add: “I just miss her so much.”

A 10-time Grand Slam doubles winner, including two crowns here in 2018 and 2022, Krejcikova already knew she would not be collecting a third such in 2024 having finished her doubles quarter-final in 8pm defeat on Wednesday evening. For a while it seemed that match had sapped too much of her energy, and every point for the Czech felt like its own little victory.

Rybakina immediately began adding to her tournament-leading stack of aces. The No.4 seed’s massive serve was doing its usual damage, but while early break points for Krejcikova passed without reward, the fact that they existed at all signposted the unexpected development to come.

The Kazakh’s 4-0 lead was followed by four successive breaks of serve. What cost Krejcikova was that she managed just one hold. It was the first time this Fortnight she had surrendered the first set – quite something, given that her previous best Wimbledon was a sole visit to the fourth round three years ago.

In reaching this semi, she had compiled the first five-strong greensward streak of her career, among which were the three biggest wins by ranking she had ever achieved on grass, including red-hot Danielle Collins followed by Jelena Ostapenko.

In Rybakina she was up against her first top 10 opponent since losing to Aryna Sabalenka in the Australian Open last eight back in January. But this was not a vintage display from Rybakina, and in the second set her third double fault of the match laid the foundations for Krejcikova to break.

The No.4 seed didn’t have the monopoly on double fault agony, mind. In order to push the match into a decider Krejcikova ploughed through six set points, delivering double faults on numbers one, four and five.

Few observers had given much weight to the fact that the Czech came into this leading their career matches 2-0, although both were close affairs. But Krejcikova fed off it, gradually eking control of the match away as she wound up the aggression in the final set, serving out the match at the first opportunity. Jana Novotna would be proud.