Andy Murray says he has learnt to cope with the intensity of Grand Slam competition as he prepares for his second match at the Australian Open.
Andy Murray eventually found his form to beat Spain's Fernando Verdasco in a scrappy second-round encounter at the Australian Open on Thursday.
The British 15th seed, who went out in the first round last season, continues his campaign against Fernando Verdasco on Thursday at around 0300 (GMT).
The Briton, seeded 15, came through 7-6 (7-4) 7-5 6-4 to set up a rematch with Juan Ignacio Chela - the man who beat him in last year's first round.
"I know how to deal with the pressures much better than last year," he said.
After six breaks of serve in the first set Murray took control from 3-3 in the tie-break.
"I have so much more experience. I hope in two, three years' time I'll be a consistent contender for Grand Slams."
He then recovered from 4-1 down in the second set before dominating the third.
ANDY MURRAY'S SECOND-ROUND MATCH WILL BE LIVE ON BBC INTERACTIVE AND ON THE BBC SPORT WEBSITE ON THURSDAY 18 JANUARY - IT IS NOT LIKELY TO BE ON BEFORE 0300 (GMT).
THE MATCH WILL BE REPLAYED ON BBC INTERACTIVE AND ON THE BBC SPORT WEBSITE AT 0830.
Murray looked supremely confident as he blasted past Alberto Martin 6-0 6-0 6-1 in his first-round match in Melbourne.
The 19-year-old Scot spent the winter working in California and Florida with a team that includes his coach Brad Gilbert and five-time Olympic champion Michael Johnson.
If I play like I did Tuesday and a little bit better, then I've got a good chance of winning Andy Murray
Murray credits his new-found confidence and focus to a good spell of training designed to increase his stamina and fitness.
"I worked on pretty much everything, just getting stronger physically," said Murray.
"I go on court against the guys that are bigger than me, guys that were overpowering me last year, and I feel like I can stay with them and hit the ball harder than a lot of them.
"All the hard work is definitely paying off right now. If I have to go deep into matches I'm hoping that my fitness will hold up."
Murray is aware that Verdasco could provide a stern test, even though at world number 16, the Briton is ranked 19 places higher than his opponent.
The 23-year-old Spaniard is a talented player with a huge forehand that has helped him to wins over the likes of Andy Roddick, Ivan Ljubicic and David Nalbandian.
"It's going to be really difficult," said Murray, who is meeting Verdasco for the first time.
"Verdasco has won against guys like Roddick and is a tough guy to play against.
"But I feel like if I play like I did Tuesday and a little bit better, then I've got a good chance of winning."
At the same time as Murray is due to face Verdasco, his brother Jamie also begins his campaign in the men's doubles with German partner Benjamin Becker on Thursday.
Jamie and Becker are third on Court 15 where they face French duo Julien Benneteau and Nicolas Mahut.
