Andy Murray hopes to capitalize on his winning start at the Australian Open as the world No. 1 faces Andrey Rublev of Russia in the second round of the tournament.
Murray was far from his best in his opening match at the Australian Open 2017 against Ukraine's Illya Marchenko, but the Scot was still able to pull off a win 7-5 7-6(5) 6-2. Murray admitted it was not the best match for him, but it was still a much-need victory for the three-time Grand Slam winner, who is attempting to win his first crown at the event after five finals defeat.
"I don't think it was the best match," Murray said, reports the BBC. "The conditions were pretty different to what we've been practising in."
"Last week's been pretty cool. When it's like that, the ball is bouncing a bit lower and it is a bit easier to control. I was a bit tentative because of that."
The win booked top seed Murray a second round date against an unfamiliar foe in Rublev, who ranks No. 152 in the ATP World Rankings. The 19-year-old Russian struggled in the opening set of his first round match against defeat Chinese Taipei's Yen-Hsun Lu, but was able to win the remaining sets to finish with a 4-6 6-3 7-6(0) 6-3 victory.
Meanwhile, Stan Wawrinka will get to face American Steve Johnson in the second round of the first Grand Slam event of the year. Wawrinka needed five sets to avoid elimination and defeat Slovakia's Martin Klizan, 4-6 6-4 7-5 4-6 6-4.
"It was a big fright tonight, he's a tough player who pushes a lot and I am very happy to get through," Wawrinka said, reports the First Post. "I was fighting a lot and I never give up but it was most important to get through."
Wawrinka has only met Johnson once, having defeated the 27-year-old American in 2015 at Roland Garros. But considering the Swiss' rusty start at the event, Johnson could be an obstacle for Wawrinka's Australian Open bid.
Live streaming info and score updates
Watch Australian Open 2017 Andy Murray vs Andrey Rublev live via AusOpen.com or Watch ESPN. Live scores will be available during game days at the Australian Open's official website.