Porec, Croatia (My Sportsbook) - Radek Stepanek overcame a record 78 aces in an epic five-set battle to help the Czech Republic grab a commanding 2-0 lead over host Croatia in their best-of-five Davis Cup semifinal.

In Friday's epic opening rubber, 6-foot-10 Croat Ivo Karlovic and Czech Stepanek battled for just under six hours before Stepanek prevailed 6-7 (5-7), 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (8-6), 6-7 (2-7), 16-14 in 5 hour, 59 minutes. There was only one break of serve in the entire match, and Stepanek got it in the 29th game of the 30-game marathon fifth set.

In terms of time, it was the fourth-longest match in Davis Cup history, and the 82 games played made it the joint-longest match in games since the tiebreak was introduced to Davis Cup in 1989.

Karlovic, who failed to convert on five match points on Day 1, set a new ace record by crushing 78. The previous Davis Cup record was 47, while the world record had been 55.

"Emotionally it was the best ever," said Stepanek. "The tennis wasn't the type of tennis that people love to watch, it was kind of boring but I knew what to expect and I pulled through and I am very happy."

The second rubber match of the day was also entertaining, as Czech Tomas Berdych outlasted Croat Marin Cilic. 6-3, 6-3, 3-6, 4-6, 6-3 in 3 hours, and 48 minutes on the indoor red clay at Zatika.

Berdych converted on all five of his break points to give the Czechs a 2-0 lead. Cilic, who had 15 aces, was fresh off his quarterfinal appearance at the U.S. Open last week.

Saturday's doubles is supposed to pit a Croatian tandem of Roko Karanusic and Lovro Zovko against a Czech pairing of Lukas Dlouhy and Jan Hajek, while Sunday's reverse singles are scheduled to have Cilic meeting Stepanek and Karlovic battling Berdych.

The Croats are captained by Goran Prpic, while the Czechs are guided by Jaroslav Navratil. The two nations had never met in Davis Cup play before this week.

Led by the great Ivan Lendl, the Czech Republic captured its lone Davis Cup title, as the former Czechoslovakia, way back in 1980, while Croatia won its only championship just four year ago.

The Czechs are in the semis for the first time in 13 years.

The Czech Republic-Croatia winner will meet the Spain-Israel victor in the final in the first week of December.