Australian Open: Sir Andy Murray's potential route to glory - who he needs to beat

A player-by-player look at who the world No 1 could face in Melbourne

Andy Murray is looking to claim his first major as world No 1 in Melbourne (Getty)

Sir Andy Murray will be hoping to celebrate his debut grand slam as world number one by winning his first Australian Open title.

Here, we take a closer look at Murray's possible route to glory in Melbourne.

First round: Illya Marchenko

Marchenko, ranked 93rd in the world, has not gone past the first round at the Australian Open since 2011, when he ran into Murray and lost in straight sets. The Ukrainian poses little threat and Murray should sail through.

Marchenko is Murray's first opponent in Melbourne (Getty)

Second round: Yen-Hsun Lu

World number 61 Lu beat Murray at the 2008 Olympics but has lost all of their four match-ups since and failed to take a single set in that time. Murray conceded only six games in their latest battle at Wimbledon last year and the result is unlikely to be too different this time around.

Third round: Sam Querrey

Querrey could represent Murray's first real test. The American blew away Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon last summer after all. Murray, however, usually enjoys picking off the big-servers and since beating Djokovic, Querrey has done little to suggest that triumph was anything other than a one-off.

The American blew away Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon last year (Getty)

Fourth round: Lucas Pouille

Pouille is one the game's rising stars, with many predicting this could be a breakthrough season for the flamboyant Frenchman. If the 22-year-old finds his groove, as he did when ousting Rafael Nadal at the US Open in September, he can cause anyone problems. Murray would need to have an off-day, however, and Pouille be at his very best.

Quarter-final: Roger Federer

Federer has beaten Murray in all of their last five meetings but while another clash here is a mouth-watering prospect, Murray would be favourite this time around. Federer is seeded 17th after missing the entire second half of last season through injury and while the returning 35-year-old would certainly have the crowd behind him, he is unlikely to hit top form on the back of four matches. Murray should progress.


 Federer has returned to action after a six-month injury lay-off 
 (Getty)

Semi-final: Stan Wawrinka

History suggests Wawrinka is often fragile in the early rounds of grand slams but once he reaches the latter stages he becomes a fearsome opponent to stop. A player who rises to the big occasion, Wawrinka arrives after gunning down Novak Djokovic to win the US Open and certainly has the power to bring down Murray too. The question is does the Swiss have the stamina and consistency to beat Murray, who won both of their meetings last year. Expect a marathon but the Scot to edge it.


 Stan Wawrinka is the current US Open champions 
 (Getty)

Final: Novak Djokovic

Who else? Djokovic is five out of five against Murray at the Australian Open, with four of those victories coming at the final hurdle. The dynamic has shifted ever so slightly in Murray's favour though this year after he snatched the world number one spot off Djokovic in November. If the Serbian can rediscover the irresistible form that led to him winning four grand slams in a row before Wimbledon last year, he may again prove unbeatable. If not, Murray is primed to pounce and finally claim his first Australian Open crown.