Tennis: Records tumble in epic Davis Cup semifinal

Ivo Karlovic served a world record 78 aces - and still lost.

Radek Stepanek saved match points and survived the equal longest Davis Cup match in modern history.

In the longest Davis Cup singles in 20 years, Stepanek's brave showing helped the Czech Republic lead Karlovic's Croatia 2-0 in the semifinals yesterday.

Stepanek won 6-7 (5) 7-6 (5) 7-6 (6) 6-7 (2) 16-14 in 5 hours 59 minutes, before Tomas Berdych defeated US Open quarter-finalist Marin Cilic 6-3 6-3 3-6 4-6 6-3 in a match which finished just after midnight in Porec.

"I fought for my country," Stepanek said. "It was an amazing game."

The Czechs, bidding to reach the final for the first time since their only Davis Cup triumph in 1980 with Ivan Lendl, toiled for nearly 10 hours on the indoor clay in rowdy Zatika Arena.

Stepanek and Karlovic, meeting for the first time, played the fourth longest rubber in Davis Cup history. The 82 games equalled the Davis Cup record since tiebreakers were introduced in 1989.

The 2.09m (6 foot 10 inch) Karlovic missed four match points in the final set. Stepanek broke for the first time since the first set in the 29th game and won when the tallest player on tour sent a smash wide.

"I feel like I was in a 10-round boxing match," Karlovic said. "Everything hurts."

His 78 aces obliterated the men's world record by 23 and the Davis Cup record he shared with Gustavo Kuerten and Marc Rosset by 31.

"I did my best but Stepanek was there all the way," Karlovic said. "After the loss, the serve record means little to me."

Inspired by Stepanek, Berdych overcame a midmatch slump to defeat Cilic in 3 hours 48 minutes.

Meanwhile, New Zealand came up short again in the Davis Cup Asia-Oceania group two tennis against the Philippines yesterday.

They lost the doubles in straight sets as the Philippines stole an unbeatable 3-0 lead in Manila. GD Jones and Oliver Statham went down to the hosts' top combination of Cecil Mamiit and Treat Conrad Huey 6-7 3-6 5-7.

New Zealand lost the two opening singles contests and needed to win the doubles to keep the tie alive. Their chances were not helped when Dan King-Turner was ruled out on medical advice after retiring in yesterday's singles due to a pulled calf muscle.

The two New Zealanders started strongly before conceding the first break in the fifth game of the opening set. But Jones and Statham immediately broke back before losing the tiebreak 5-7.

In the second set at 3-3, the lights short circuited at the indoor venue before the match was suspended for 30 minutes. On resuming, Mamiit and Huey then won three successive games to take the set.

The New Zealanders had two set points at 5-4 in the third but Mamiit and Huey hung tough to hold on before taking the set 7-5. The 'dead' reverse singles are today.