How many Wimbledon finalists have to load the dishwasher, at their mother’s behest, on the morning of their match? Today, just like every morning, Laura Robson will. The 14-year-old Briton is one match away from becoming the first home champion of the girls’ competition for 24 years, but her parents are determined to keep her feet on the ground.

You can tell when something out of the ordinary is happening at Wimbledon. The stewards mobilise, passageways that were previously empty become jammed with craning spectators and Centre Court, normally the focus of everyone and everything within the famous walls, melts into the background.

So it was for an hour and a half at lunchtime yesterday, as Robson bundled her way past Romana Tabakova, of Slovakia, 6-2, 7-5 to become the first British girl since Annabel Croft, in 1984, to reach a Wimbledon final. Croft, who won, backs the left-hander to do likewise. “She is a very complete player,” she said. “She’s riding the crest.”

With a capacity of 800, No 3 Court was overwhelmed. Hundreds queued for a spot in the stands, journalists from less prestigious publications were hauled from the press box to make room and, most tellingly, the members’ balcony backing on to Centre Court was filled with those who eschewed the chance to watch Roger Federer to peer down at the British teenager. Even Sir Cliff Richard made a brief appearance.

Robson, who with the exception of Maria Sharapova is ranked higher among the juniors, at No 36, than any of the present world top ten players were at her age, did not let them down. Faced with an awkward competitor three years her senior, who pushed the boundaries of gamesmanship to the limits of palatability, Robson was not fazed. She rattled through the first set in 27 minutes, losing only four points on her serve, as Tabakova adopted a conspicuously loud grunt.

The Slovak resorted to the tactics of the lengthy bathroom break, the summoning of the physio and, to save a game at 4-3 down, the underarm serve, one of the last refuges. “That was the first time I’ve ever seen that in my life,” Robson said. “But it worked, so fair play to her.”

Tabakova could not hold out for long. The Melbourne-born Robson may be outwardly a prim, polite, middle-class English girl, but inside beats the heart of an Australian. The result is that she seems not to know how to choke. As Tabakova’s grunts grew louder, so Robson’s hitting grew cleaner, propelling her to victory in a close second set.

Robson is a competitor with more right than others to call Wimbledon her home tournament – she lives less than a five-minute walk away. Born in Melbourne, she spent 18 months Down Under before arriving in the United Kingdom, via Singapore, aged 6. Her father, Andrew, is a Shell executive and her mother, Kathy, was a professional basketball player.

Schooled at home, so that she can focus on her tennis, the teenager said her biggest worry was not today’s final but choosing a dress for the Champions’ Ball, on Sunday night. She will play Noppawan Lertcheewakarn, the 16-year-old No 3 seed from Thailand, in the final that is to be played on No 1 Court. “I’m looking for something a bit simple,” she said. “[Jelena] Jankovic wore a bright pink dress last year - I don’t think I’ll be going down that route.”

The finalists of every Wimbledon discipline are invited to the glitzy bash, at the Intercontinental Hotel on Park Lane. Asked whether she had her eye on anyone to accompany her, she giggled, replying: “No. Apart from [Marat] Safin.” He would do well to accept because he does not merit an invitation by right after Federer dumped him out of the semi-finals in straight sets.