In a match played over two days, it was a former finalist and tenth seed Tomas Berdych who overcame the elements and Croatian Ivan Dodig 7-6, 5-7, 6-1, 7-6 to reach the second round at Wimbledon. On the two wettest days of the tournament so far, it took the Czech three hours and 24 minutes to move on at the All England Club.
Berdych edges Dodig in tight opening set tiebreak
Dodig began the match on the front foot, breaking immediately off of some big hitting to gain an early lead. Berdych responded the following game, with some loose hitting from the Croatian gifting the break back to the tenth seed. From then on, the two split holds of serve four times each, bringing the score to 5-all.
The 2010 finalist, who fell to Rafael Nadal in his only Grand Slam final, took a routine hold of serve courtesy of some big forehands to force his 31-year-old opponent to serve to stay in the set. Dodig raced out to an early lead in the game before a wide forehand from the Czech sent the set to a tiebreak.
In the tiebreak, Berdych opened proceedings, taking his service point with a big forehand winner. The Czech then showcased his touch at the net, taking a mini-break lead 2-0 before Dodig held his next point for 2-1. The former finalist kept up the impressive serving, taking two more points for a commanding 4-1 lead. The world number 74 put a brief halt to Berdych's momentum in the breaker, taking his two service points to keep the Czech's lead to a solitary mini-break.
A wide ward Dodig forehand cost the veteran another mini-break, with the Czech setting up three set points with a trademark ace for 6-3. The doubles specialist Dodig saved two set points on his serve with some impressive hitting, with a forehand winner and ace getting him out of trouble for 6-5. Berdych made the most of his final set point, taking the lengthy opening set 7-6 off another big ace for a one set lead.
Dodig fights back to take the second set
In a reserve of the opening game of the first set, Berdych gained the immediate break off of Dodig, with a volley error from the Croat costing him the early break. The world number 9 carried over his momentum from the opening set, holding to love off of some errors from the world ranked 74. The former French Open doubles champion stopped the downfall for a game, taking an easy hold of serve for 2-1. The pair then exchanged holds twice for 4-3, before the Czech took another hold to love for 5-3, putting himself a game from a two sets to love lead.
Serving to stay in the set, Dodig drew some costly errors out of his opponent, taking the hold from two points from dropping the set for 5-4. The 31-year-old upped his level at a crucial time, gaining the breakthrough on the Berdych serve to level the set at 5-all. From there on the Croat reeled off two straight games, holding before breaking the Czech again to level the match at a set apiece.
Berdych cruises through the third set
The set began with two easy holds of serve for Dodig and Berdych, before the Czech went on a run of games, taking four games in a row for a 5-1 lead to force the Croat to serve to stay in the set. The former finalist gained a third break of the match with errors coming off of Dodig's racquet resulting in an easy 6-1 set for the tenth seed.
Berdych comes through another tiebreak to advance
Berdych took an early lead in the fourth set, taking care of his serve before breaking Dodig for 2-0. The Czech then consolidated the break for a fairly convincing 3-0 lead. The world number 74 got on the board with a routine hold with the tenth seed doing the same the following game for 4-1.
With the set and match seemingly in control, a brief lapse in concentration cost the former finalist, with Dodig holding before gaining a crucial break of serve to tighten the gap at 4-3. Berdych responded well, though, breaking straight back for 5-3 to give himself the chance to serve for the match.
Down a break again, the former doubles major winner took another break to stay alive in the opening round encounter, with errors costing Berdych in key moments in the fourth. Dodig then leveled the match at 5-all, with both players exchanging holds to bring it to a second tiebreak.
Berdych opened the breaker serving, taking care of his serve for 1-0. Dodig then took his first serve point for 1-all, before an untimely forehand error cost him a mini-break. The veteran snatched the mini-break right back before the former finalist took his second service point to keep the tiebreak on serve.
A backhand error and a double fault came at the worst of times for Dodig, with the unseeded Croatian falling behind 5-2 in the tiebreak. The tenth seed cracked a trademark ace to bring up four match points before another backhand misfire from the 31-year-old gave Berdych the opening round win 7-6, 5-7, 6-1, 7-6.
Berdych on the opening round win
"The weather is always a challenge," said Berdych. "But with all the years on the tour, you get used to it. So really it's just something where you just have to keep your focus," added the Czech.
The 2010 runner up then said, "You don't have a day off after the day that you play the match or that you've been scheduled to play a match, but you have to stay focused. It was an up-and-down match but this was good timing. It's good to be done, especially when my opponent finished yesterday," concluded the tenth seed.
Berdych will next face German Benjamin Becker who eased past Argentine Facundo Bagnis in the previous round. Berdych and Becker have met six times previously with the Czech holding a comfortable 5-1 edge.