Karlovic deals 78 aces - and loses

For five sets, Radek Stepanek resembled a man located at the wrong end of a shooting gallery. Withstanding a record 78 aces from Ivo Karlovic, Stepanek stared at the service line and saw the the long-awaited finish line.

As Czech fans screamed in support, Stepanek stepped up and made one final run to finish a gripping, gruelling marathon match.

Stepanek staved off five match points, broke serve in the 29th game of the fifth set then held at 30 to edge 6-foot-10 Ivo Karlovic, 6-7(5), 7-6(5), 7-6(6), 6-7(2), 16-14, in a five hour, 59-minute match to give the visiting Czech Republic a 1-0 lead over Croatia on the red clay of the 4,500-seat Sportska Dvorana "Zatika" in Porec today.

"I was not letting my mind think it was match point; I just saw them as another point which I wanted to win," said Stepanek. "When I sat down at the end I thought they were match points. Thinking that way in the match paid off. I knew patience would be very important."

Though the match was played on Croatian soil, the Czech supporters were vocal throughout in chanting "Stepanek! Stepanek!" at various stages.

"I have no words right now, it was like a lottery and I managed to seize my chances," Stepanek told Croatian television in comments published by Reuters. "It was a long and exhausting match but when you play for your country it's worth it. It wouldn't matter if it lasted for another few hours."

It was the fourth longest match in Davis Cup history, spanning 82 games, which made it the longest match, in terms of total games played, since the tie break was introduced to World Group play in 1989.

Karlovic shattered the all-time aces record of 59 held by American Ed Kauder since 1955.

The match featured just three breaks of serve with Stepanek converting both of his break points in the exhausting encounter that was a war of wills with both men clinging to their serves.

Karlovic cracked 27 of his 77 aces in the fifth set that featured 180 points. The match was one minute short of becoming the fourth Davis Cup match in history to span six hours.

Tomas Berdych held off 15th-ranked Croatian Marin Cilic, 6-3, 6-3, 3-6, 4-6, 6-3 in three hours 48 minutes to give the Czech Republic a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five match semifinal

Croatia has won 11 of its last 12 home ties in Davis Cup and if it advances to the final and faces Spain, which is a heavy favourite over visiting Israel, it will have another home tie.

Croatia, which beat the Slovak Republic to win the 2005 Davis Cup, is bidding to reach its second final. It has never faced the Czech Republic in Davis Cup play. The Czech Republic, which is contesting its first semifinal since 1996, is aiming to reach the final for the first time since 1980 when Ivan Lendl led the nation to the championship.