As plush and padded as the Australian Open’s new coaching pods are, Andy Murray was not always sitting comfortably on his dugout debut.
The Scottish-Serb entente is off to a winning start but Novak Djokovic had to come from behind to defeat 19-year-old Nishesh Basavareddy and as he toiled in the first set, Murray would have been forgiven for asking himself: ‘Where were these kind of errors in the Melbourne finals of 2016, 2015, 2013 and 2011?’
With a first round against a Grand Slam debutant ranked outside the world’s top 100, Murray might have expected an easy start for his old rival but a superb opening from 19-year-old American Nishash Basavareddy raised the tension of the occasion.
At the start of the second set with the match in the balance, Djokovic gave Murray the first dose of his own medicine, with a shout, a shrug and a splay of the arms towards his coaches. There was even a ‘chatting’ gesture, as if asking for the new man to ramp up the advice.
At the end of the match, in lieu of a celebration Djokovic tossed a ball away and gestured angrily at the pod.
But there were plenty of fist pumps exchanged and a couple of times Djokovic approached for a chat. After the match Djokovic gave a positive appraisal of his latest employee.
Andy Murray’s coaching career got off to a winning start – but Novak Djokovic had to come from behind against teenager Nishesh Basavareddy
The Serbian lost the first set but came back to reach the second round of the Australian Open
Murray started off quiet but became well-invested in the clash and Djokovic said he appreciated the support
‘Communication is key to understanding each other and finding the formula that really works,’ said the 37-year-old. ‘We’re still in that first phase of getting to know each other.
‘I really like the feeling of having Andy as my coach. He was giving me his feedback, his guidance and opinion.
‘He was doing great today. He was standing up several times, trying to encourage and support me. I really did enjoy it.
‘He’s a great guy. It’s a pleasure to have him in my corner.’
All sweetness and light after the match but this was a sticky start for Djokovic that could have got stickier had his opponent’s physical condition not deteriorated.
For a set and a half Basavareddy was brilliant, fizzing with the verve of youth. He is not a power player but his shot selection and touch play was seriously good. He dragged Djokovic out of position and was always ready with a cute drop shot when the moment was right.
‘To be honest I’ve never seen him play up to three or four days ago, I didn’t know much about him,’ said Djokovic. ‘These matches are always tricky, always dangerous, he had nothing to lose. Very complete player, he pleasantly surprised me with his shots and his fighting spirit.
‘I think we’ll see a lot of him in the future.’
Djokovic praised Basavareddy and said he expects to see ‘a lot of him in the future’
At times Murray looked uneasy under the glare in the Australian Open coaching pod
Djokovic is a passionate man and will need to see Murray gee him up more than he did
The teenager was playing his idol on Monday – his WhatsApp profile picture is of Djokovic – but to this observer Basavareddy’s game was more reminiscent of the Scotsman. One drop-shot-lob combination was strikingly Murray-esque.
Another echo of Murray’s early Grand Slam ventures, sadly, was that Basavareddy cramped up at the end of the second set and looked physically compromised thereafter. But the 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 scoreline was more than respectable.
So what kind of a figure did Murray cut on the bench? He was certainly on the Ivan Lendl side of the spectrum, doing a passable impression of an Easter Island statue in the first set.
He became more animated in the second and was on his feet whenever Djokovic earned a break point. And when the 10-time champion finally broke the dam to go 5-3 up he gave a beefy fist pump.
There was not much tactical advice or verbal encouragement that was picked up by the microphone, but Djokovic made an interesting remark on the subject after the match: ‘At times it’s not necessary for us to exchange words because we just look at each other and we know what happened on the court, whether it’s in the match or in practice.’
Overall, Murray did not look entirely at ease and that is understandable. For one thing it is all very new to him and for another, the Australian Open’s new pods can be a little exposing. Rather than being tucked away in the stands with Djokovic’s wife and the rest of the gang, he and three other members of team Djokovic were in full view for most of the stadium.
Djokovic is a passionate man and as this relationship develops, and as the stakes become higher at this event, he will need Murray to gee him up more than he did on Monday night.
‘I’m enjoying spending time with him on the court and off the court just picking his brain, understanding how he sees tennis,’ said Djokovic. ‘He’s constantly supportive and encouraging. He’s brilliant with that.
‘He cares a lot and he’s putting a lot of energy into trying to make me feel good on the court. I think that’s what I need, honestly. I was looking for that extra motivation.
‘I definitely have it with Andy.’
