Andy Murray, who lost to Novak Djokovic in the finals of the Australian Open last year, will be keen to go one better this season as he prepares for his first-round clash against a towering German, Alexander Zverev, at Margaret Court Arena on Tuesday.
Murray was seen alongside coach Amelie Mauresmo at the outside court of the Melbourne Park as the former French player was keeping a close eye on Murray striking the ball in soaring temperatures. If Murray, who has been seeded second in the competition, plays his normal game, he should not have much trouble against the German.
Zverev is no stranger to Murray, as the duo has been involved in some practice sessions in the past.
"I know him reasonably well. I practised with him for the first time a couple years ago. I've seen him play a few matches since then," Daily Mail quoted Murray as saying. "Obviously, getting to play him a couple of weeks ago was good. I also practised with him a couple of times during the week in Perth."
Murray's opponent, Zverev, has the height of a basketball player, standing at 6 feet 6 inches. There not be many players of such height in the ATP circuit, so the German happens to be tallest player the Scot has ever faces so far in his career.
"He's a big guy for his age. Of the young guys coming through, he's by far the tallest, which has obvious benefits. At the age he's at just now, [it] can cause a few issues as well until you kind of fill out into your physique," said Murray.
Players of such size generally come up with huge serves, and the German is no different, but what makes him stand out from other tall players is his agility on court.
"But he's got a very good game. He serves well. For a big guy, [he] moves pretty well too. He's obviously improving all the time. He finished last year well. It will be a tough match," said Murray.
Though the match is expected to be a tough one for the second seed, he should defeat the world number 83. Murray should use this match as the perfect preparation for some huge battles, which the Scot is expected to face in future rounds of the competition.
Where to watch live
Australian Open 2016 first round game - Andy Murray vs Alexander Zverev is the second match at Margaret Court Arena on Day 2. The first match – Madison Key vs Zarina Dyas – is scheduled for 11 am local time (5:30 am IST, 12 am GMT, 7 pm ET), after which Murray vs Zverev match takes place.
The live coverage of the Australian Open first round match will be on Sony ESPN and Sony ESPN HD in India, with the online live streaming option on Sonyliv.
Andy Murray vs Alexander Zverev match can be viewed live in the UK and Ireland on BBC, with live streaming on BBCiPlayer.
Eurosport and Eurosport Player will show the Australian Open 2016 live in the rest of Europe. Channel 7 will broadcast the Australian Open live in Australia.
US viewers can watchAndy Murray vs Alexander Zverev live on ESPN with live streaming options on Watch ESPN.
Middle East and North Africa tennis fans can watch Andy Murray vs Alexander Zverev live on Bein Sports and online on Bein Sports Connect
Fox Sports will show the opening round matches live in South East Asia as well as South Korea.
