Karlovic outlasts Zeballos in epic five-setter
After more than five hours, Ivo Karlovic edged Horacio Zeballos as the pair set an Australian Open record.
Ivo Karlovic and Horacio Zeballos set an Australian Open record during an epic five-setter at Melbourne Park on Tuesday.
Karlovic, the Croatian 20th seed, eventually prevailed 6-7 (6-8) 3-6 7-5 6-2 22-20 in five hours and 14 minutes on Court 19.
The duo broke the record for longest match by number of games in the tie-break era at Melbourne Park.
The 84 games beat the 83 played by Andy Roddick and Younes El Aynaoui as the American claimed victory in their 2003 quarter-final.
Karlovic sent down 75 aces in his comeback win, secured when Zeballos framed a forehand, which also bettered the previous Australian Open record of 51 set by Joachim Johansson against Andre Agassi in 2005.
The pair fell well short of the all-time record 183 games played by John Isner and Nicolas Mahut at Wimbledon in 2010.
