Rinky Hijikata and David Pel (main picture) saved two match points to knock out the top seeds on No.1 Court and reach the final of the gentlemen's doubles after one of the matches of the day.
The Australian and Dutch duo had decided to team up shortly before the tournament, but only got a berth in the main draw after an Argentine duo withdrew.
Thursday’s semi-final against El Salvador and Croatian pair Marcelo Arevalo and Mate Pavic was edge-of-the-seat stuff, but they made it through to the final 6-7 (2), 7-6 (5), 7-6 (9), where they will face the British duo Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool.
Both teams dominated behind serve. Pavic and Arevalo took the first set on a tie-break; Pel nervously held his serve to stay in the match at 4-5 in the second, which also went the distance.
Recalling that key game afterwards, Pel said: "I’ve got a great partner – he helped me out there. I was nervous in the moment. I didn’t want to hit double faults and then I obviously did hit double faults.
"That didn’t work! It was a new experience for me. Court one, big stage, big court. A lot of people were watching. I really loved the people out there. So many were watching the match and were behind us."
With the crowd behind them (including Pel’s mother, who was nervously watching and celebrating every point won), the underdogs took the second set on a tie-break.
Hijikata and Pel stormed into a four-love lead. The Australian even hit a one-handed cross-court backhand pass at one point (he normally hits with two hands) but Pavic and Arevalo levelled things up though and then had two match points. They couldn’t take them.
The Alternate pair saved the best for last as Hijikata finished the match with an on-the-run forehand cross-court winner and Pel fell on his back in celebration as they clinched the third set 11-9 on the tie-break.
In the bottom half of the draw, there were just two service breaks in the match between Roland-Garros champions Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos and Cash and Glasspool, and both went the way of the Brits, who won in straight sets in just over an hour, 6-3, 6-4.
Glasspool was delighted. "It was a really good match today. Really clean, really clinical - I think it was like an hour. Everything kind of went to plan and went our way. I do think we still have a few more things we can iron out. To replicate that would be good."
The British pair have been the team to beat on grass this season. They reached the final of s’Hertogenbosch in the Netherlands, won Queen's and Eastbourne back-to-back and are now in their first Wimbledon final, for the loss of just one set.
Cash believes the success has been a long time in the making. "We haven't changed anything. We put a lot of effort in the off-season. We did well in Australia. We had a little bit of a bump in the road through the clay season with some injuries, and Lloyd obviously missed two of the Masters.
"Obviously the grass suits our game as well. But yeah, just a lot of hard work, we're both pushing everyday and I don't think there's any special formula, just a lot of hard work.’
Glasspool added: "It's also a little bit of luck as well, and one or two points that went our way."
Alfie Hewett had an exceptionally busy Thursday. In the first match on No.3 Court, Hewett continued the defence of his gentlemen's singles wheelchair title with a straight sets win over Zhenxu Ji, 6-1, 6-1. Much later in the day, Hewett teamed up with Gordon Reid on No.1 Court, where they recovered from losing the first set to beat Daniel Caverzaschi and Tokito Oda 3-6, 6-4, 6-0 in a thrilling doubles semi-final.
Reid said: "We I had a message from the coaches to try and use the width and the drop shot a little bit more, the second set. I felt for most of the match that we weren't far away.
"That end of the second set and then the third set was kind of the reward for the perseverance that all sort of fell together."
Hewett added: "When things aren't going well, it's being able to stick together as a team and find a solution."
They will face Martin De La Puente and Ruben Spaargaren in the final.