It’s been 17 years since Martina Hingis contested a Wimbledon final, so it was understandable that with doubles partner Sania Mirza by her side, the Swiss star would be impatient to reach another.

The No.1 seeds weren’t wasting any time as they defeated Raquel Kops-Jones and Abigail Spears 6-1, 6-2 in the ladies doubles semi-final in just 56 minutes.

In a dominating performance, Hingis and Mirza broke serve four times – twice in each set – while Kops-Jones and Spears were unable to convert any of their comparatively meagre break-point opportunities, all of which came in the 27-minute first set.

Mirza explained that the efficient manner in which they dismantled their American opponents is further evidence of how well they’ve clicked as a partnership.

“We kind of compliment each other’s games. She’s really solid around the net and I try and put in the power. That’s how we really combine well,” she said.

“Our temperaments match on the court as well. We try and have fun as much as we can, obviously, at this level but as competitors we suit each other.”

Those three successive wins sealed Mirza’s history-making progression to world No.1, as the first Indian woman to rise so high in tennis.

The pair’s most recent victory creates the opportunity for Hingis to claim a third ladies’ doubles victory here, having collected the 1996 title with Helena Sukova, and winning with Jana Novtona in 1998.

Mirza believes such experience will be invaluable as they prepare for their biggest match together. “We’ve both been around long enough. Obviously she’s won at this level a lot,” she said. “I think for her she’s achieved so much that no matter what she does it’s never enough.”

While much has been said about the 17-year gap since Hingis last contested a final at Wimbledon, Mirza points out that they’ll approach the match the same as any other.

“We just go out there and try to treat it like any other match. That’s what happened today and that’s when we can play our best. If we put more pressure on ourselves then I don’t think we can play our best,” she said.

“We don’t really think about what we have achieved or are going to achieve. We think about that moment [of stepping onto the court].”

The No.1 seeds will need that level-headed approach against their opponents, the No.2 seeds Ekaterina Makaraova and Elena Vesnina, whose path to the final has in contrast been challenging.

The Russian duo needed two hours and 15 minutes to stave off Cara Black and Lisa Raymond in the quarter-finals, securing their victory 8-6 in the third set. There was an even bigger battle as Makarova and Vesnina progressed to the final with a 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 win over No.4 seeds Timea Babos and Kristina Mladenovic.

“The last two matches were really tough for us and we are happy today that we finally finished our match,” said Makarova. “Our opponents were playing so aggressively. They were serving really well, so it was really difficult. We needed to keep our serve but we did it and we’re happy.”

Taking two hours and four minutes to complete their win, the final 53-minute set was only three minutes shy of Hingis and Mirza’s entire time on court. But as Vesnina pointed out, there’s a certain assurance in the Russians having tested their winning partnership.

“I think we were fighting until the end,” she said of their progression into the final. “I think we stick together pretty good and we played very good on the key moments.”

The winners of two Grand Slam titles together already (the 2013 French and 2014 US Opens), Vesnina and Makarova understand there’s an added element to their Wimbledon opportunity, the Russians having lost two other finals to Mirza and Hingis this season.

Makarova hopes it will be third-time lucky in their next career meeting. “It will be a tough match for sure and we’ll try to keep the same level,” she said.

Vesnina added that it’s a privilege to face the current world No.1, Mirza, as well as enduring legend Hingis on Wimbledon’s Centre Court.