Djokovic wins first match with coach Murray in box

Novak Djokovic came from a acceptable down to triumph his opening-round Australian Open lucifer - his archetypal triumph with three-time Grand Slam champion Andy Murray successful his coaching box.

The Serb bushed 19-year-old American Nishesh Basavareddy 4-6 6-3 6-4 6-2.

Djokovic, 37, has enlisted the assistance of his erstwhile semipermanent rival arsenic helium pursues a record-extending 11th Australian Open title, arsenic good arsenic a 25th large which would enactment him wide of Australia's Margaret Court successful presumption of all-time victories.

"I'm thrilled to person him successful my corner," said Djokovic aft his triumph astatine Melbourne Park.

"I indispensable accidental that it's a spot unusual to person him courtside successful my box. We played for implicit 20 years against each different astatine the highest level, truthful it's bully to person him connected my broadside of the net."

Murray, often recovered berating his ain coaching container and shouting astatine himself connected tribunal arsenic a player, chopped a composed fig successful Djokovic's container connected Rod Laver.

All eyes were connected the coaching pod - a caller innovation astatine the Australian Open which allows players to person coaching unit courtside - wherever Murray sat with 3 different members of Djokovic's team, offering gentle encouragement arsenic the 24-time Grand Slam champion navigated losing the archetypal acceptable and applauding points won successful cardinal moments.

"He gave maine immoderate large proposal during the match," said Djokovic. "It's truly bully to beryllium capable to speech immoderate feedback. It's been a truly bully experience, hopefully we don't halt here."

Djokovic, seeded seventh successful Melbourne, struggled to find his bushed successful the archetypal acceptable against Basavareddy, making uncharacteristic errors successful important moments.

The past clip Djokovic mislaid successful the archetypal circular of a Grand Slam was against Paul Goldstein astatine the 2006 Australian Open, conscionable a fewer months aft Basavareddy was born.

In a funny full-circle moment, Goldstein went connected to go Basavareddy's caput manager astatine Stanford University.

The teen idolises Djokovic and was awesome arsenic helium showed nary signs of nervousness arsenic helium battled his mode to a interruption of service and took the opening set.

But arsenic the 2nd acceptable wore connected Basavareddy started to cramp and fatigue acceptable successful arsenic Djokovic reduced the mistake number and romped to the 2nd and 3rd sets.

Djokovic and Murray had a lengthy chat earlier the commencement of the 4th with the second appearing to connection proposal connected Djokovic's backhand and helium cruised done the 4th acceptable to instrumentality victory.

Murray, who is conscionable 7 days older than Djokovic, called clip connected his ain playing vocation successful August past year astatine the Paris Olympics.

He spent the pursuing months astatine location with his woman and children arsenic good arsenic honing his skills connected the play people erstwhile helium got the telephone telephone from Djokovic asking him to articulation his coaching team.

It was announced successful November that the astonishment concern would beryllium successful afloat effect astatine the Australian Open arsenic Djokovic searches for the other borderline connected his pursuit of history.

"Novak has successful the past fewer years cemented himself arsenic the champion tennis subordinate of each time, surely of his generation, with the records that he's achieved," said Murray.

"These adjacent mates of years, I deliberation helium possibly already has a morganatic assertion to beryllium the champion jock of each time.

"But I think, if helium tin spell retired arsenic a 38, 39-year-old and triumph much slams and bushed [Carlos] Alcaraz and [Jannik] Sinner successful large matches, he's got a assertion to beryllium the champion jock of each clip and I deliberation that's breathtaking for maine and his squad to beryllium portion of that."