Some under-the-radar Aussies are bound for the final while one of the great women's semi-finals of all time set pulses racing on centre court.

Here are the main talking points from day 11 at Wimbledon.

1. Aussie boys are a win away from glory

Wimbledon fortnight did not start well for Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson, but there could be a golden finish for the Australian duo.

The pair have won their way into the final of the men's doubles, and will believe they can win it after sweeping aside the top seeds.

Purcell and Thompson beat Spaniard Marcel Granollers and Argentine Horacio Zeballos 6-4, 6-4 in 71 minutes on Thursday to book a place in the final on Saturday (early Sunday AEST) at the All England Club.

There they will face Briton Henry Patten and Finn Harri Heliovaara, who are unseeded but defeated experienced Queen's Club champions Neal Skupski and New Zealander Michael Venus 6-4, 7-6 (7-1) in their semi.

"I feel we were never in doubt today," Purcell said.

"We came out playing really well [and] felt really comfortable out there. Nothing to take away from them, they're great players. I just felt like we were on and when we're on, we're really tough to beat."

2. Paolini outlasts Vekic in an epic semifinal marathon

Jasmine Paolini kept coming back, kept coming back, kept coming back, against Donna Vekic in what would become the longest Wimbledon women's semifinal on record — after dropping the opening set, after being two games from defeat in each of the last two sets, after twice trailing by a break in the third.

And all the while, Paolini's mantra was clear: "Try, point by point. Fight for every ball."

Paolini never had won a match at the All England Club until last week and now will participate in her second consecutive grand slam final, thanks to a rollicking 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 (10-8) victory over the unseeded Vekic across 2 hours, 51 minutes on Centre Court.

"This match, I will remember forever. It was a rollercoaster of emotions," she said.

Vekic often was in obvious distress, crying between points and while sitting in her changeover chair late in the third set — because, she said afterward, of pain in an arm and a leg — and often looked up at her guest box with a flushed face. She iced her right forearm between games.

"I thought I was going to die in the third set," said Vekic, who repeatedly closed her eyes, sighed or shook her head during her news conference.

"I didn't know how I could keep playing."

3. Krejcikova digs deep for comeback semifinal triumph

Barbora Krejcikova produced a comeback full of steel and resilience to reach her first Wimbledon final, showing unbendable resistance in the face of an attacking barrage from Elena Rybakina to triumph 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.

There were times when Krejcikova resembled a punch-drunk boxer as she reeled from the relentless blows being inflicted by the 2022 champion, but she hauled herself off the ropes to turn the contest on its head and set up a showdown with Paolini in Saturday's final.

Rybakina had started the contest like a piece of reliable industrial machinery, thrashing the ball to all corners of the court.

But Krejcikova would not be cowed and rummaged through her own box of tricks to find a way to turn defence into attack, eventually putting the Kazakh fourth seed on the back foot.

"I am so proud about my game and my fighting spirit today," she said as she accepted the applause of the Centre Court crowd.

"I was trying to fight for every single ball, during the second set I was getting my momentum and when I broke her I started to be in the zone and I didn't want to leave the zone."

4. Italian tennis is molto forte right now

A month ago, Italian sport fans may have thought they would be seeing their team defend their European Championship title in soccer this weekend — but they will have other reasons to cheer as two of their tennis stars stand on the brink of history.

Paolini is the first Italian woman to reach a Wimbledon final, while 22-year-old Lorenzo Musetti takes on Novak Djokovic in the men's semifinals.

Even with a ban on large flags at Wimbledon, that has not stopped the Italian Tricolore being waved and they will sure be out when Musetti steps onto Centre Court to take on 24-time grand slam champion Djokovic.

"Lorenzo is a really nice guy. I'm so happy for him. Tomorrow, for sure, I'm going to watch some [of his] tennis. He has a huge talent. I think [he is a] really good person. Hopefully he can play a good match," Paolini told a press conference.