Published: Saturday September 19, 2009 MYT 9:19:00 AM
Updated: Saturday September 19, 2009 MYT 2:07:20 PM

Davis Cup Round Up: Spain, Czechs in command

LONDON: Radek Stepanek withstood a world record 78 aces and saved five match points against Ivo Karlovic in the longest Davis Cup singles in 20 years to help the Czech Republic lead Croatia 2-0 in the semifinals on Friday.

Stepanek won 6-7 (5), 7-6 (5), 7-6 (6), 6-7 (2), 16-14 in 5 hours, 59 minutes, then Tomas Berdych defeated U.S. Open quarterfinalist 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."

Meanwhile, defending champion Spain cruised to 2-0 ahead of first-time semifinalist Israel in Torre Pacheco.

Even without its top three players - the injured Rafael Nadal and Fernando Verdasco and rested Tommy Robredo - Spain moved to the brink of its fifth final in 10 years after David Ferrer beat Harel Levy 6-1, 6-4, 6-3 and Juan Carlos Ferrero impressively downed Dudi Sela 6-4, 6-2, 6-0.

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 equaled the Davis Cup record since tiebreakers were introduced in 1989. The 2.09-meter (6-foot-10) 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 both 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 3:48. "Stepanek's grueling victory was a great kick for me," Berdych said.

Stepanek was being considered for Saturday's doubles, but was expected to receive a deserved rest for the reverse singles on Sunday, leaving the Czechs to retain their original named pair of Lukas Dlouhy, who won the U.S. Open last week, and Jan Hajek, who are favored against Croatia's Lovro Zovko and Roko Karanusic.

Israel's Jonathan Erlich and Andy Ram are tipped to beat Spain's Feliciano Lopez and Robredo on Saturday, which would keep their tie alive into the last day.

Spain, however, is in command.

"Things are going well, and we achieved the objective of securing two points," Spain captain Albert Costa said.

In front of 10,000 fans in a temporary outdoor clay court on a golf course, Spain had too much class.

Ferrer chased down everything from Levy, then former No. 1 Ferrero won a quality match with Sela, breaking the Israeli's resistance at 2-2 in the second set.

"It was hard to begin with," Ferrero said.

"We played for an hour before I could close the first set and he fought hard, but I began to take control from there." - AP

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