WIMBLEDON, London -- Bernard Tomic said he needed to improve his focus and consistency after holding his nerve to complete a five-set victory against Fernando Verdasco on Wednesday.
It wasn't the first time in the Australian's career that it has been suggested that he would benefit from a more even approach but, after rain delays stretched his match over two days, and disrupted it at key points, he could have given himself a break.
The contest was initially stopped at two sets apiece and then again when Tomic was 5-3 up in the third, but he saw it out to win 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 on Court No.2.
"The last 24 hours was just very tough because you have to go to sleep, you have one set to go, and then to come out playing well," Tomic said. "Having to go in that night and sleep, and [with] all this drama, it's something I'm not used to."
Tomic's reward was a second-round match against Moldovan qualifier Radu Albot, the world No.110, who prefers to play on clay.
The pair hit together during the clay season and Tomic described him as a "cool" guy and a "tough competitor", but he shouldn't represent a major obstacle for the world No.19.
"I have to improve my focus and serve well," Tomic said. "I just need to work on consistency, and serving is the key to my game on grass."
Fellow Australian Matthew Barton was made to wait even longer to finish his epic first-round match against Frenchman Albano Olivetti, which will go into a third day.
The qualifers had played for more than 3 hours in total over two days before rain forced them off again, after Tomic's match had finished, with the score 3-3 in the fifth set. They have been scheduled to try again to finish their match on Thursday.
Samantha Stosur's second-round contest against Sabine Lisicki was postponed for a day without starting.