When Ivan Ljubicic dropped his first Davis Cup match of the season yesterday, vomiting off court after his stomach lost an argument with painkillers, fans in Croatia probably felt queasy, too. Instead of the mighty Ljubicic – 6-foot-4 with a blistering serve and beautiful backhand that had smacked around Romania, Russia, and America – Croats were left to cheer for Mario Ancic, who had yet to win a 2005 Davis Cup singles match that counted for anything.

Thankfully for Croatia, Ancic came through in his last chance of the season, giving his country its first Cup by defeating Michal Mertinak 7-6(1), 6-3, 6-4, a win that made the final score 3-2 over the Slovak Republic. Though the conclusion was anticlimactic – Mertinak replaced an injured player and is ranked no. 162 in the world – the victory was of immense significance for Croatia, whose next-best international athletic performance came when it finished third in the 1998 soccer World Cup. With a population 4.5 million, it is the smallest nation to participate in this year’s competition among the elite 16 tennis teams in the world. And it won the hard way: three of its four “ties” (or matches, which began in March) were won by the score of 3-2, two of them on the road.

There to celebrate this bit of history were team captain Nikola Pilic and the hero of Croatian tennis, former Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic. Pilic became the only team captain to win a title with different countries (he won three with Germany) while Ivanisevic, now 34, came out of retirement to join this team, cheering from the sidelines with only a slim chance of making an appearance.

Though Ancic may have sealed the victory, the real story of this contest, and the entire season of Davis Cup play, was the 26-year-old Ljubicic. While playing 81 singles matches, winning two singles titles, and moving from no. 22 in the rankings to inside the top 10 (no. 9) for the first time in his career, Ljubicic managed to piece together the best Davis Cup season in 23 years, finishing 11-1 in singles and doubles, just shy of John McEnroe’s 12-0 mark in 1982.

Despite his one defeat yesterday, to Dominik Hrbaty in five sets, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4, Ljubicic had a year perhaps equal to McEnroe’s in 1982. He won more matches that counted: all 12 of Ljubicic’s matches meant something to Croatia (“live rubbers,” in case you have been perplexed by that term), while McEnroe could have forfeited three out of his 12 with no harm done to the homeland (“dead rubbers”).

Ljubicic also played his most important matches on the road, while McEnroe faced his greatest test at home, and on a carpet surface he loved (in the second round against Sweden, McEnroe beat Mats Wilander 9-7, 6-2, 15-17, 3-6, 8-6 to give America a 3-2 victory).

It was in Los Angeles in March that Ljubicic did what seemed impossible at the time. After defeating Andre Agassi in straight sets in his first match, he and Ancic upset twins Bob and Mike Bryan in the most crucial match of the season. A day later Ljubicic bounced the Americans with a five-set win over Andy Roddick, whom he had beaten only once before (and that time Roddick retired).

After a 4-1 defeat of Romania in July, Ljubicic single-handedly took care of Russia in September (this time at home in a 3-2 win). He defeated Mikhail Youzhny in five sets, won a five-set doubles match with Ancic, and then ended the contest with a straight-sets win over Nikolay Davydenko. If not for a pain (literally) in his neck and the drugs he ingested to fight it, Ljubicic might also have taken down the Slovak Republic on his own. Instead, he scored a win in singles and doubles and debated not playing his third match against Hrbaty after receiving treatment the entire morning.

It might have been better for the record books if Ljubicic had kept up his winning ways, but it’s better for Croatia that Ancic was called upon to save the day. Such an important victory can only strengthen the young Croat’s confidence.

Just 21 years old, Ancic has for some time had a promising future, as his semifinal appearance at the 2004 Wimbledon attests. Ivanisevic and Ljubicic blossomed in their mid 20s – often the case for taller, awkward players. That said, the 6-foot-5-inch Ancic, a strong volleyer with solid strokes, might more than compensate for what he lacks in agility and speed, and continue to climb in the rankings (he has moved from no.74 at the end of 2003 to no. 22).

And what of the losers, the Slovak Republic? As defeats go, this one was hardly devastating. Hrbaty and his bunch were even less likely to make it this far than Croatia, and they lost one starter, Karol Beck, before the final began. Playing inside a stadium that seats a little more than the requisite 4,000, the home team found itself up against a crowd that was about 50-50.

Indeed, it was a stellar season for the Slovaks, including victories (all at home) over Spain and Argentina, but they’ll be hard-pressed to repeat it. Croatia, on the other hand, will reasonably dream about making a run next year (they play Austria in the first round in February). If the stars align, the Americans would have a chance at revenge in next year’s final.