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Melbourne - Andy Murray ground out a hard-earned straight sets win over plucky Illya Marchenko to open his campaign for a first Australian Open title in Melbourne on Monday.
The world number one, who has lost five Australian finals - four of them to his key rival Novak Djokovic - carved out a 7-5, 7-6 (7/5), 6-2 victory in 2hr 47min on Rod Laver Arena.
It was an unforgiving physical workout for the British top seed, who fought back after a wobbly beginning to wear down his 93rd-ranked Ukrainian opponent in draining heat.
Murray will take on Russian qualifier Andrey Rublev in the second round.
The world number one began shakily with three double faults and along with an unforced forehand error he dropped his opening service game.
Murray broke back and appeared to be getting into the groove to be serving for the set at 5-3, but Marchenko reeled off two winning passes to break his serve.
The Scot sat in his chair fuming at the changover repeatedly saying "shocking, shocking stuff" directed to his player's box across the court.
He finally wrapped up the opening set in 55 minutes after breaking the Ukrainian's serve at 6-5.
But a sign of his frustration was that his serve was broken in three of his first eight service games.
Murray needed 76 minutes to claim a tiebreaker and forge a two sets to nil lead in a very physical encounter with Marchenko before grabbing a double break off the wilting Marchenko to take charge of the deciding set and storm to victory.
Collated results from the Australian Open on Monday:
Men
1st round
Jeremy Chardy (FRA) bt Nicolas Almagro (ESP) 4-0 ret
Ryan Harrison (USA) bt Nicolas Mahut (FRA) 6-3, 6-4, 6-2
Tomas Berdych (CZE x10) bt Luca Vanni (ITA) 6-1 ret
Viktor Troicki (SRB x29) bt Damir Dzumhur (BIH) 6-4, 6-4, 2-6, 2-6, 6-3
Alex De Minaur (AUS) bt Gerald Melzer (AUT) 5-7, 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (7/2), 6-1
Sam Querrey (USA x31) bt Quentin Halys (FRA) 6-7 (10/12), 7-6 (7/4), 6-3, 6-4
Mischa Zverev (GER) bt Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (ESP) 6-3, 7-6 (7/5), 6-4
Kei Nishikori (JPN x5) bt Andrey Kuznetsov (RUS) 5-7, 6-1, 6-4, 6-7 (6/8), 6-2
Bernard Tomic (AUS x27) bt Thomaz Bellucci (BRA) 6-2, 6-1, 6-4
Victor Estrella (DOM) bt Aljaz Bedene (GBR) 7-6 (9/7), 7-5, 0-6, 6-3
Andy Murray (GBR x1) bt Illya Marchenko (UKR) 7-5, 7-6 (7/5), 6-2
Andrey Rublev (RUS) bt Lu Yen-Hsun (TPE) 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7/0), 6-3
John Isner (USA x19) bt Konstantin Kravchuk (RUS) 6-3, 6-4, 6-7 (5/7), 6-1
Malek Jaziri (TUN) bt Go Soeda (JPN) 6-3, 6-4, 6-3
Diego Schwartzman (ARG) bt Pablo Cuevas (URU x22) 6-3, 6-3, 6-0
Dusan Lajovic (SRB) bt Stephane Robert (FRA) 6-3, 6-3, 6-3
Marin Cilic (CRO x7) bt Jerzy Janowicz (POL) 4-6, 4-6, 6-2, 6-2, 6-3
Alexander Bublik (KAZ) bt Lucas Pouille (FRA x16) 6-0, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4
Noah Rubin (USA) bt Bjorn Fratangelo (USA) 6-7 (4/7), 7-5, 3-6, 6-2, 6-2
Lukas Lacko (SVK) bt Albert Ramos (ESP x26) 4-6, 7-5, 1-6, 6-4, 6-3
Dudi Sela (ISR) bt Marcel Granollers (ESP) 5-7, 6-3, 6-2, 6-0
Steve Johnson (USA) bt Federico Del Bonis (ARG) 6-3, 6-4, 6-4
Paolo Lorenzi (ITA) bt James Duckworth (AUS) 6-4, 7-6 (7/4), 6-7 (4/7), 6-4
Andreas Seppi (ITA) bt Paul-Henri Mathieu (FRA) 6-4, 7-6 (7/4), 6-7 (3/7), 7-5
Nick Kyrgios (AUS x14) bt Gastão Elias (POR) 6-1, 6-2, 6-2
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA x12) bt Thiago Monteiro (BRA) 6-1, 6-3, 6-7 (5/7), 6-2
Karen Khachanov (RUS) bt Adrian Mannarino (FRA) 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (11/9), 6-3
Jack Sock (USA x23) bt Pierre-Hugues Herbert (FRA) 6-4, 7-6 (7/4), 6-3
Dan Evans (GBR) bt Facundo Bagnis (ARG) 7-6 (10/8), 6-3, 6-1
Roger Federer (SUI x17) bt Jurgen Melzer (AUT) 7-5, 3-6, 6-2, 6-2
Stan Wawrinka (SUI x4) bt Martin Kližan (SVK) 4-6, 6-4, 7-5, 4-6, 6-4
Steve Darcis (BEL) bt Samuel Groth (AUS) 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2
Women
1st round
Irina Begu (ROM x27) bt Yaroslava Shvedova (KAZ) 5-7, 6-3, 6-4
Samantha Crawford (USA) bt Lauren Davis (USA) 4-6, 6-3, 6-0
Garbine Muguruza (ESP x7) bt Marina Erakovic (NZL) 7-5, 6-4
Shelby Rogers (USA) bt Simona Halep (ROM x4) 6-3, 6-1
Mona Barthel (GER) bt Destanee Aiava (AUS) 6-3, 7-6 (7/4)
Monica Puig (PUR x29) bt Patricia Tig (ROM) 6-0, 6-1
Varvara Lepchenko (USA) bt Kiki Bertens (NED x19) 7-5, 7-6 (7/5)
Duan Yingying (CHN) bt Rebecca Sramkova (SVK) 6-3, 6-4
Julia Goerges (GER) bt Katerina Siniakova (CZE) 3-6, 6-3, 6-4
Jelena Jankovic (SRB) bt Laura Siegemund (GER x26) 6-1, 1-6, 6-4
Alison Riske (USA) bt Madison Brengle (USA) 7-5, 6-3
Kristyna Pliskova (CZE) bt Viktorija Golubic (SUI) 6-3, 2-6, 6-4
Sorana Cirstea (ROM) bt Irina Khromacheva (RUS) 6-2, 6-1
Anastasija Sevastova (LAT x32) bt Nao Hibino (JPN) 6-4 ret
Kristina Kucova (SVK) bt Christina McHale (USA) 6-4, 6-0
Venus Williams (USA x13) bt Kateryna Kozlova (UKR) 7-6 (7/5), 7-5
Natalia Vikhlyantseva (RUS) bt Vania King (USA) 6-3, 6-2
Jaimee Fourlis (AUS) bt Anna Tatishvili (USA) 6-4, 6-3
Zhang Shuai (CHN x20) bt Aliaksandra Sasnovich (BLR) 6-0, 6-3
Pauline Parmentier (FRA) bt Misaki Doi (JPN) 7-5, 7-5
Coco Vandeweghe (USA) bt Roberta Vinci (ITA x15) 6-1, 7-6 (7/3)
Ashleigh Barty (AUS) bt Annika Beck (GER) 6-4, 7-5
Stefanie Voegele (SUI) bt Kurumi Nara (JPN) 2-6, 6-2, 6-3
Elina Svitolina (UKR x11) bt Galina Voskoboeva (KAZ) 6-0, 6-2
Julia Boserup (USA) bt Francesca Schiavone (ITA) 6-2, 6-4
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS x24) bt Evgeniya Rodina (RUS) 6-1, 7-6 (7/2)
Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS x8) bt Mariana Duque (COL) 6-0, 6-1
Angelique Kerber (GER x1) bt Lesya Tsurenko (UKR) 6-2, 5-7, 6-2
Carina Witthoeft (GER) bt Eri Hozumi (JPN) 7-5, 7-6 (8/6)
Peng Shuai (CHN) bt Darya Kasatkina (RUS x23) 6-0, 7-6 (7/5)
Carla Suarez (ESP x10) bt Jana Cepelova (SVK) 6-2, 6-2
Eugenie Bouchard (CAN) bt Louisa Chirico (USA) 6-0, 6-4
