Andy Murray usually Prepares for the Australian Open
Andy Murray usually prepares for the Australian Open by playing in Doha but this year he will go to Perth.
Andy Murray and Laura Robson will team up for Great Britain at the Hopman Cup in January. The world No4, Murray, and the former Wimbledon girl’s champion Robson will compete as a mixed doubles team for the first time, while the format of the tournament means they will each also play singles matches.
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The tournament is staged in Perth, Australia, from 2-9 January, and Murray’s involvement signals a change in his preparations for the Australian Open, which begins on 18 January in Melbourne. In the past three years, he has started the season by competing in Doha, where this year he beat Roger Federer and Andy Roddick on the way to successfully defending his title.
“It’s the first time he’s chosen to prepare for the Australian Open in Australia so that’s a big statement by Andy,” the Hopman Cup director Paul McNamee told WA Today. “He’s never done well at the Australian Open. He indicated through his management he wanted to do something different this year.
“They noticed [Novak] Djokovic [in 2008] and [Marat] Safin [in 2005] used the Perth route to win the Australian Open so they are giving it a shot. Andy wants to break through for his first grand slam.”
Robson, meanwhile, could have the chance to face some of the tour’s top female players, with the 15-year-old’s possible opponents set to include Elena Dementieva and Melanie Oudin.