Radek Stepanek's five-set win over Ivo Karlovic helped the Czech Republic build a 2-0 lead over Croatia at a Davis Cup semifinal at Porec, Croatia. The scores of the near 6-hour match, 6-7 (5-7), 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (8-6), 6-7 (2-7), 16-14, put the Czechs within one victory of advancing to the Davis Cup finals. The fourth-longest match in Davis Cup history featured a record 78 aces by the 6-foot-10 Karlovic, a 30-game marathon fifth set and just one service break. Also, the 82 games played equaled the record for the most number of games played in a single match since the tie-break was introduced to Davis Cup competition in 1989. The crowd was amazing, Stepanek said.

Top-seeded Andy Roddick survived two tiebreaks Friday to reach the semifinals at the Legg Mason Tennis Classic. Roddick, who picked up the 500th match victory of his career to get into the quarterfinals, eliminated Ivo Karlovic 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (7-5) to set up a semifinal meeting with John Isner. Isner advanced by defeating Tomas Berdych 6-3, 6-7 (10-12), 6-2. The other semifinal Saturday will pit Juan Martin del Potro against Fernando Gonzalez. Del Potro, seeded second, won without having to take the court when Robin Soderling withdrew with an elbow injury.

Ivo Karlovic and Marin Cilic won their singles matches Friday, giving Croatia a 2-0 Davis Cup quarterfinal lead over the United States in Porec, Croatia. Both matches went to five sets, with Karlovic beating James Blake 6-7 (5-7), 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7-3), 7-5 and Cilic downing Mardy Fish 4-6, 6-3, 6-7 (3-7), 6-1, 8-6. Karlovic topped Blake with the help of 47 service aces. Fish was a late addition to the U.S.

Ivo Karlovic is being called upon to play both singles and doubles for Croatia against the United States this weekend in a Davis Cup quarterfinal series. Karlovic is to open the best-of-five set Friday against James Blake before teaming with Lovro Zovko for a doubles match Saturday and then a singles bout with Mardy Fish on Sunday. The matches are to be played in Porec on an indoor clay court, on which the U.S.

Roger Federer used a straight-set win Wednesday at the Wimbledon Championships in London to reach his 21st consecutive major tournament semifinals. Federer, who won five consecutive Wimbledon titles before losing in the finals last year, will go against 24th-seeded Tommy Haas in Friday's semifinals.