It was well past a respectable bedtime for those with working on Thursday but it was a match that one couldn't take their eyes away from. 

It took two hours and 36 minutes for Stosur and Zhang to advance to the final with a 7-5 4-6 7-5 triumph over Barbora Strycova and Marketa Vondrousova.

“My heart rate is so high at the moment,” said Stosur.

“That was amazing. It was a really tough match for us. Shuai picked it up for us at the end and I’m so pleased we’re into a final here together in Australia.

“We’re on a bit of a roll and hopefully we can keep it going in the final. It would be amazing for us, we’ll do everything we can to be ready and we’ll give it a good crack.”

The duo now faces reigning champions Timea Babos and Kristina Mladenovic, a doubles pairing who beat them in the US Open semifinals.

The Queenslander, who is a former US Open Champion, was a runner up in this event previously, having lost the 2006 final.Â