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Australian Open, Melbourne
Venue: Melbourne Park Dates: 17-30 January
Coverage: Thursday 20 January on the BBC Two, red button, online & 5 live sports extra (0800 GMT): Andy Murray (GB) v Illya Marchenko (Ukr) full details
Murray eases through in Australia
Andy Murray will step into unknown territory when he faces Illya Marchenko for the first time in Thursday's Australian Open second-round match.
"I don't really know him that well. I saw him play a little bit when Ukraine played Great Britain in Davis Cup[2009]," said the 23-year-old Briton.
"He has improved a lot since then but I don't know his game that well."
Murray overcame Karol Beck in his opening match after the Slovak was forced to retire with an injury.
He will face Marchenko at around 7pm local time on Margaret Court Arena, which should mean the expected rise in temperature on day four will not affect the match toomuch.
"It's different to what we normally have here," Murray said of the Melbourne weather. "Yesterday was actually pretty cold and it changes the way the court plays a lot.
"It comes through quite low, whereas I'm sure in the next round later on in the week when it gets warmer the ball is gong to be bouncing very high. It's very different tennis.
"But you just have to deal with it. At a lot of the slams the conditions can vary from day to day, you just have to be ready for anything."
Current world number 79 Marchenko, also 23, beat Spaniard Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo 6-3 6-4 6-1 to qualify from the opening round in Melbourne for the second successive year.
In 2010, Marchenko also reached the second round at Wimbledon but was forced to withdraw from his encounter with Gilles Simon because of an injury.
Had Marchenko beaten the Frenchman then he would have gone on to face Murray in the third round.
Murray not getting carried away after win
"I know him better than he knows me but he doesn't really care how I play," said Marchenko. "He will focus on his game and I will focus on mine.
"We are the same kind of player. He likes to defend, he returns well, he serves well, he is a top player and, for me, it will be a very difficult match to beat a guy with a similar game."
If Murray beats Marchenko he will then face either Spain's Guillermo Garcia-Lopez or Argentine Eduardo Schwank.
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Venue: Melbourne Park Dates: 17-30 January
Coverage: Thursday 20 January on the BBC Two, red button, online & 5 live sports extra (0800 GMT): Andy Murray (GB) v Illya Marchenko (Ukr) full details
Murray eases through in Australia
Andy Murray will step into unknown territory when he faces Illya Marchenko for the first time in Thursday's Australian Open second-round match.
"I don't really know him that well. I saw him play a little bit when Ukraine played Great Britain in Davis Cup[2009]," said the 23-year-old Briton.
"He has improved a lot since then but I don't know his game that well."
Murray overcame Karol Beck in his opening match after the Slovak was forced to retire with an injury.
He will face Marchenko at around 7pm local time on Margaret Court Arena, which should mean the expected rise in temperature on day four will not affect the match toomuch.
"It's different to what we normally have here," Murray said of the Melbourne weather. "Yesterday was actually pretty cold and it changes the way the court plays a lot.
"It comes through quite low, whereas I'm sure in the next round later on in the week when it gets warmer the ball is gong to be bouncing very high. It's very different tennis.
"But you just have to deal with it. At a lot of the slams the conditions can vary from day to day, you just have to be ready for anything."
Current world number 79 Marchenko, also 23, beat Spaniard Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo 6-3 6-4 6-1 to qualify from the opening round in Melbourne for the second successive year.
In 2010, Marchenko also reached the second round at Wimbledon but was forced to withdraw from his encounter with Gilles Simon because of an injury.
Had Marchenko beaten the Frenchman then he would have gone on to face Murray in the third round.
Murray not getting carried away after win
"I know him better than he knows me but he doesn't really care how I play," said Marchenko. "He will focus on his game and I will focus on mine.
"We are the same kind of player. He likes to defend, he returns well, he serves well, he is a top player and, for me, it will be a very difficult match to beat a guy with a similar game."
If Murray beats Marchenko he will then face either Spain's Guillermo Garcia-Lopez or Argentine Eduardo Schwank.
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