Djokovic, Serena share stage with record acer Karlovic
Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams have both dropped to world No2 and faced awkward opposition
Melbourne — Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams launched their Australian Open campaigns in style on Tuesday as Ivo Karlovic smashed a record 75 aces in an unprecedented marathon lasting 84 games. Djokovic and Williams have both dropped to world No2 and faced awkward opposition, but they won in straight sets against Fernando Verdasco and Belinda Bencic. Rafael Nadal also rolled into round two before Karlovic outlasted Horacio Zeballos in an epic that stretched for five hours, 15 minutes and ended 6-7 (6/8) 3-6 7-5 6-2 22-20. Karlovic beat Thomas Johansson’s Australian Open record of 51 aces in a match, set in 2005, and 84 games was a new mark for the tournament in the tie-break era, edging the 83 in Andy Roddick’s 2003 defeat of Younes El Aynaoui. It was one of the longest matches in the tournament’s history in terms of time, although still short of the five hours, 53 minutes played by Djokovic and Nadal in the 2012 men’s final. The denouement, when it finally came, was almost comica...
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