No.2 seeds Hsieh Su-wei and Elise Mertens booked their spot in the Australian Open women's doubles final by winning a gripping semifinal 7-5, 1-6, 6-3 over No.3 seeds Storm Hunter and Katerina Siniakova on Thursday.

Under a closed roof on Margaret Court Arena, Hsieh and Mertens took 2 hours and 35 minutes to overcome Hunter and Siniakova in an engrossing match involving four players who have all held the WTA Doubles World No.1 ranking.

Hsieh and Mertens edged out the victory, demonstrating the teamwork that won them the 2021 Wimbledon title as a pairing. This tournament is their first Grand Slam event back together since that 2021 season.

"It's a little bit different because we haven't played [together] for a few years," Hsieh said. "But I know what she's doing, [because] I was watching her at home on the TV. I have a big TV to make sure I follow all the girls."

"Sometimes I know what she's doing too," Mertens followed up, to laughter.

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Mertens is a win away from her fourth Grand Slam title in women's doubles, and her second at the Australian Open. Mertens teamed with Aryna Sabalenka to win the title Down Under in 2021.

Hsieh has won six Grand Slam titles in women's doubles -- including two last year -- but she has yet to take the title in Melbourne. Her best Australian Open result is a runner-up showing alongside Barbora Strycova in 2020.

Hsieh and Mertens came back from 4-0 down to steal the first set, but Hunter and Siniakova built a similar lead in the second set and refused to let that opportunity slip again, leveling the match.

Hsieh and Mertens stayed steely down the stretch, fending off all six break points they faced in the third set. Moreover, Hsieh and Mertens converted their only break point of the final set, with a deft Hsieh reflex volley giving them a 5-3 lead.

After saving one last break point in that game, another winning volley by Hsieh set up match point. That opportunity was thunderously converted by a sterling Mertens crosscourt backhand.

The second semifinal, which will take place on Friday, will determine Hsieh and Mertens' opponents in the final. They will face either No.11 seeds Lyudmyla Kichenok and Jelena Ostapenko or No.4 seeds Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe, last year's US Open champions.

Hsieh will also be playing in the first Grand Slam mixed doubles final of her career on Friday. She and Jan Zielinski will take on Desirae Krawczyk and Neal Skupski for that title.