Australia booked their place in the Davis Cup final for the first time in 19 years with a 2-1 victory over Croatia.
Borna Coric gave Croatia the upper hand with a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Thanasi Kokkinakis in the first singles rubber, the 26-year-old hitting 19 winners and committing just nine unforced errors.
However, Australian number one Alex de Minaur then beat former US Open champion Marin Cilic 6-2, 6-2 in just 44 minutes to level the tie and set up a decisive doubles rubber.
Australia and Croatia went to doubles for a place in the final.
And it was the Australian pair of Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson who held their nerve as they fought back from a set down to beat Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic 6-7 (3), 7-5, 6-4 in two hours and 14 minutes.
Moments before the match Australia captain Lleyton Hewitt put Thompson in for Matthew Ebden, who along with Purcell captured the Wimbledon doubles title when they beat defending champions Pavic and Mektic in the All-England Club final.
The first set was a tightly contested affair until the Czech duo stepped it up and rolled through the tiebreaker, but Purcell and Thompson never wavered and broke for a 6-5 lead in the second frame and held serve to force a decisive third set.
Purcell and Thompson broke again for a 4-3 lead and that was all the cushion they needed as they took care of business on their next two service games to put Australia into their first final since 2003 – when they won their 28th title.
“This is what this team is about, that never-say-die attitude,” De Minaur said following his win to keep Australia alive.
Italy take on Canada in the second semi-final on Saturday.
