• Australian Open

Murray may be 'unbelievably nervous' in Melbourne

ESPN staff
January 13, 2013
Andy Murray steps on court as the US Open champion

Andy Murray has confessed he has "no idea" how he will feel when he steps on court at a major tournament for the first time as a grand slam winner.

Murray awaits the start of the Australian Open, which begins on Monday, knowing his US Open triumph at the back end of 2012 places him among the favourites to win in Melbourne.

The world No. 3 will begin his campaign against Robin Haase, knowing he cannot face nemesis Novak Djokovic until the final. Djokovic beat Murray in the 2011 Australian Open final and was again the victor when the pair met in last year's semi-finals.

The majority of Murray's career has seen him striving to end Britain's 76-year wait for a grand slam winner, and now that the pressure is removed he admits he does not know how he will respond as he targets another success.

"I have no idea how I'm going to play here and how I'm going to feel when I enter onto the court," Murray said. "I said that I feel more relaxed, but I don't know.

"The day when I play my first match, I could be unbelievably nervous - I don't know what effect it will have on me until I'm put in that situation. But I also know how hard these events are to win."

No player in the open era has followed a maiden grand slam win by winning the next one. Roger Federer, unsurprisingly, came closest when he won Wimbledon and then the Australian Open.

Murray's coach Ivan Lendl does not buy into the theory that the US Open triumph will make it easier for the Brit to win future tournaments. In fact, Lendl predicts it may get even harder.

"I think it's overrated," Lendl said in the Telegraph. "A major title may be worth a point here or there with lesser players but I promise you it makes no difference with the top guys.

"In fact, it can work both ways. Beating Andy Murray is a little bit bigger than before the Olympics and the US Open, so you can make a good argument for both sides."

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