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Meet Ivo Karlovic, the King of aces...

August 31, 2016 09:02 IST

Karlovic sets US Open record with 61 aces!!!

Ivo Karlovic

IMAGE: Ivo Karlovic of Croatia serves . Photograph: Grant Halverson/Getty Images

Ivo Karlovic set a US Open record on Tuesday when he banged down 61 aces on his way to a first round victory over Taiwan's Lu Yen-Hsun.

The 37-year-old Croat, who has served the most aces in ATP Tour history with well over 11,000, hit 22 in the second set alone as he outgunned Lu 4-6, 7-6(4), 6-7(4), 7-6(5), 7-5.

Tuesday's total beats the previous record of 49 set by the Dutchman, Richard Krajicek, in the quarter-finals in 1999.

Ivo Karlovic

IMAGE: Ivo Ivo Karlovic of Croatia returns a shot to Yen-Hsun Lu of Taipei during his first round men's singles match on Day Two of the 2016 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center . Photograph: Alex Goodlett/Getty Images

"I knew there were a lot of aces because at one stage I was serving one on almost every point but I didn't know it was a record," 21st seed Karlovic told reporters.

Only 10 of the aces came in the final set but Karlovic broke to win the match.

"I'm getting old," he joked.

"I have to work a bit more on my serve, I guess."

Source: REUTERS
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