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Melbourne - Italian Andreas Seppi edged out Croatia's Ivo Karlovic in a titanic five-set battle of the veterans to claim a place in the round of 16 at the Australian Open on Friday.
Seppi, ranked 76, fought off the 89th-ranked Karlovic 6-3, 7-6 (7/4), 6-7 (3/7), 6-7 (5/7), 9-7 in 3 hours and 51 minutes on Hisense Arena.
The Italian, 33, reached the fourth round for the second consecutive year where he will face Britain's Kyle Edmund on Sunday.
"It's always difficult. I think today was more mentally than physically," Seppi said.
"I mean, in the end it was a very long match. Leading two sets to love, then playing the fifth where you know there is no tiebreak, you know you have to break him, it is not easy.
"There was, for sure, relief in the end. I was very happy."
The victory levelled his head-to-head record with Karlovic at 2-2.
Seppi is appearing in his 51st consecutive Grand Slam event, while Karlovic, 38, was bidding to become the oldest man to reach the round of 16 at a Grand Slam since American Jimmy Connors at the 1991 US Open.
