Japanese No.8 seed Kei Nishikori has edged past towering Croatian Ivo Karlovic in a super-tiebreak to advance to the third round of the Australian Open.

Karlovic served 59 aces in the match – but crucially just one in the deciding tiebreaker – as Nishikori hung on to win 6-3 7-6 (8-6) 5-7 5-7 7-6 (10-7) in a match lasting three hours and 48 minutes.

Nishikori will play either German Philipp Kohlschreiber or Portugal’s Joao Sousa in the third round on Saturday.