Martin Lee revealed today how keeping his temper with dad has helped him through to the second round at Wimbledon.

Father and coach Brian was at courtside yesterday to see the injury-ravaged East Preston ace blast his way past towering Belgian veteran Dick Norman 6-2, 7-6, 7-6.

Lee, 28, used to row with his dad and fire balls at him when he was younger but he has been keeping his cool since they started working together again at the Angmering club.

"When I was working with my dad at 14 we had a lot of arguments but I've grown up now and we get on well," Lee said. "He helps me a lot when I go home.

"Before I just used to start tubing balls at his head and we ended up playing for about ten minutes. Now we talk about it instead.

"When I was 900 in the world I thought I needed to start again. I was out of the game for nearly two years."

Lee, formerly inside the world's top 100, was on the verge of quitting after two groin operations and knee surgery.

He rediscovered his appetite for the game following a brush with death on holiday in Egypt.

He said: "Last year I played doubles at Wimbledon, then a couple of Challengers and I thought I'd played my last match.

"I was working hard and I wasn't getting any sort of reward and I wasn't enjoying it.

"I decided to go on holiday with my girlfriend for the the first time in maybe eight years and it was the first time I've been abroad without taking a racquet.

"I went to Egypt, Sharm-al-Sheikh, and I actually missed the bomb there by about two days. It was exactly where I was so I was quite lucky.

"It was a wake-up call in a way. I didn't know if I was going to play tennis again but when I came back I was gagging to play again.

"The main thing is to prove to myself and maybe to other people that I got to 94 when my knee was really bad, so I know I can go higher.

"Even though I've missed three years I've saved the rest of my body so I definitely think I've got five or six years left in me."

Lee's injury woes threatened to haunt him again against fellow left-hander Norman, at 35 the oldest player on tour and at 6ft 8ins the second-tallest.

He had to have his right knee strapped by the trainer and needed painkillers at the end of the second set, in which he trailed 3-0 before winning it on the tie-break 7-2.

It did not dent his progress against Norman, who upset Stefan Edberg 11 years ago on his way to a fourth round exit against Boris Becker. Lee recovered from 3-1 down in the third set as well to take the match on another tie-break, 7-4.

He explained: "It was just a bit of a precaution. I've had a little bit of tendonitis over the past week and it was superstition that I didn't put it (the strapping) on after winning the first set.

"Then I felt a little niggle in the second set and put it on as a precaution in the third.

"It's so nice to be back here. I haven't even played the qualifiers for the last two years, so to be back here and play well in the first round I couldn't have asked for much more.

"I have always played well here. I've always felt comfortable on court. I love playing in front of a crowd."

The £16,000 Lee earns for reaching the second round today against Finland's Jarkko Nieminen, seeded 22, will enable him to pay off some debts.

Victory over Norman also justified him receiving a Wimbledon wild card for finishing third in the British play-offs at Raynes Park, a decision criticised by new LTA chief Roger Draper as rewarding mediocrity.

"I know I can play at this level," Lee said. "I've been working with my dad for a year now and I've been playing well.

"I've got my ranking to 240, 250, and I know I can get back to at least 100. That's what I'm aiming for.

"In my case I've been top hundred, I've had a few injuries and I had to work hard in the play-off to even come third.

"They (LTA) have helped me out in the past with a coach but they haven't really funded me at all with travel or anything, I've done it on my own.

"Three years out of the game with injuries has cost me a lot. I owe a few people money and I'll be able to pay them back now.

"I've never complained about how much the LTA have helped me in the past. From 14 to 21 or 22 they helped me a lot."

Lee is aiming for an upset today against the 24-year-old Nieminen, who is ranked 18 but has only gone beyond the second round once in three attempts.

"I know him but I've never played him," Lee said. "He's another left-hander and we've practised before.

"I've never made it past the second round and I'm really determined to go out there and give it my best shot. I know I can win. I'll have to play well but I'm really confident."