For the third time in his career, Karlović came back from 0-2 in sets, while Ivan Dodig ended his performance in the first round, losing to Uzbek Denis Istomin with 6-1, 6-4, 3-6, 7-5
Croatian tennis player Ivo Karlović was victorious in a marathon match in the first round of the Australian Open against Argentinean Horacio Zeballos. After five hours and 22 minutes of play the score was 6:7(6), 3:6, 7:5, 6:2, 22:20, Jutarnji List reported on January 17, 2017.
Karlović and Zeballos toppled a few records of the Australian Open. Their 84 games is a new high for the first Grand Slam of the season, equalling the previous record set by Roddick and El Aynaoui in 2003. Also, 42 games in the fifth set is another record, surpassing by two the one set by the above pair.
To win, Karlović had to fire 75 aces, another new record in Melbourne, the previous high of 51 held by Swede Johansson since 2005. It is also Karlović’s new ace high on a Grand Slam tournament, previously 61 against Hsun-Lu in last year’s US Open. He did fall short of his personal high in aces, 78 against Czech Štepanek in 2009.
Karlović thus became the first tennis player who at all four Grand Slam tournaments made 50 or more aces in a match. He is set to play in the next round against an unknown 23-year-old Australian Andrew Whittington, currently ranked 190, who defeated Czech Adam Pavlašek for his first ever Grand Slam win ever.
