AUSTRALIAN OPEN
**Venue: **Melbourne Park ** Date: **18-31 January
Coverage: Andy Murray v Kevin Anderson Live on BBC2, Red Button and Online 0330 Monday 18 January, Highlights on Freeview from 1900 Mon (Every Murray match live on BBC 1 or 2)
Daily from 0830 GMT: live on BBC Red Button/website, 5 Live sports extra
Daily from 0000 GMT: text commentary on BBC Sport website
**Britain’s Andy Murray says he is fit and ready to break his Grand Slam duck by winning the Australian Open.**The world number five launches his bid against South African Kevin Anderson in the early hours of Monday UK time after two weeks of preparation down under.
“I believe I can win it,” Murray, 22, told BBC Scotland. “I just need to make sure I play my best tennis and not get too far ahead of myself.”
Defending champion Rafael Nadal starts against Australian Peter Luczak.
The Spaniard follows Murray, whose match is expected to start around 0330 GMT - onto the Rod Laver Arena on Monday after Maria Sharapova - against Russian Maria Kirilenko - and Kim Clijsters - against Canadian Valerie Tetreault - open proceedings on the showpiece court in Melbourne.
American Andy Roddick, seeded seven, and world number four Juan Martin Del Porto are the main attractions on the Hisense Arena, where women’s number two seed Dinara Safina and the returning Justine Henin are also in action on day one.
“I feel if I do get there [the quarter-finals] I have a good chance against any of the guys”
Andy Murray
Murray, the only player in the top five without a major title, is hoping to maintain the progress he made in Grand Slams last year, when he reached his first Wimbledon semi-final and the quarter-finals of the French Open for the first time.
He has yet to progress beyond the fourth round in Melbourne.
“I feel pretty relaxed mentally about it and physically I feel good,” Murray said. “You never know when it’s the right time, but I feel ready. My game is there and I think I’ve got a really good chance.”
After skipping the Qatar Open this month, Britain’s number one opted to prepare in Australia for a fortnight, which included playing alongside 15-year-old Laura Robson in the Hopman Cup in Perth.
Murray, 23 in May, believes he will be at his peak from 23 to 27 and will be playing his 17th Grand Slam event at Melbourne Park - the same stage as Federer when he won his first Slam.
To achieve his dream the Scot may have to beat Nadal in the quarters, Del Potro in the semis and Federer in the final, if the top seeds all progress to the last eight.
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“I need to make sure I win my first match and get to the quarter-final for it to be a problem,” Murray added ahead of his first ever clash with the 6ft 8in Anderson, ranked 147 in the world.
“If I lose in the third round it’s no use if Nadal is in the quarters. I feel if I do get there I have a good chance against any of the guys.”
It has been a long 12 months for Nadal since the Spanish world number two beat Roger Federer over five sets to lift last year’s title in Melbourne.
Having struggled with tendinitis, Nadal lost his top ranking and has not won a tour title for eight months.
“I feel my game’s really where it’s supposed to be”
Roger Federer
Despite admitting his form is good, the 23-year-old says he will not be the favourite when the action gets under way.
Federer opens against Russian Igor Andreev, but the world number one, who has reached 22 consecutive Grand Slam semi-finals, has also wobbled recently with losses to Swede Robin Soderling and Russian Nikolay Davydenko at season-opening tournaments.
A year on from his defeat to Nadal however, the 29-year-old Swiss maestro has regained his number one spot, become a father to twins and overtaken Pete Sampras’s record of 14 Grand Slam victories.
“I put in a lot of work last year to try to get back to number one,” Federer said. "I’m working as hard as I ever have. I’m not just baby-sitting! I also like to go out in the morning and put in the big hours.
“I feel my game’s really where it’s supposed to be, so I can only put in the best effort I can and hope that the results will follow.”
The women’s tournament promises to be hugely competitive with world number one Serena Williams aiming to defend an Australian Open title for the first time after failing to do so after her previous four wins.
The American will have to see off the challenges of rejuvenated Belgian duo Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin.
Clijsters, 26, won the US Open in September after a two-year break, while Henin, a wildcard entry, returned from a 20-month retirement to reach the Brisbane International final last week, where she lost a dramatic match to her compatriot.
Williams is in high spirits despite cancelling practice on Saturday after struggling with a knee injury in her defeat to Elena Dementieva in the final of the Sydney International on Friday.
“The knee is much better,” insisted Williams, who is going for her 12th Grand Slam singles title in Australia, which would equal Billie Jean King’s record. "It was good for me to get all those matches in.
“That was good preparation for me because I do plan on playing both singles and doubles here.”
She will play Poland’s Urszula Radwanska, the younger sister of 10th seed Agnieszka Radwanska, and is projected to meet sister Venus in the semis.