Men's Australian Open: Winner Tip

For the very first time I feel vindicated to back Andy Murray to break his Grand Slam duck at best odds of 11/2 with Ladbrokes.

2011 was very much Djokovic’s year, but the Serb tailed off due to a combination of injury and exhaustion. He lost two out of three matches at the ATP World Tour Finals at the end of November and looked a spent force. He has rested since then, but it’s a big ask to recapture the spellbinding form that defined his 41-match unbeaten run. The bottom line is that at 27/20 (Sportingbet), he is distinctly opposable.

With Federer and Nadal having some fitness and injury concerns of their own, this could be a prime opportunity for Britain’s finest. Finalist Down Under in 2010 and 2011, Murray should already regard this as his strongest major, and the addition of Ivan Lendl as coach really could be the final piece of the jigsaw.

Early indications are that the partnership could be the perfect fit. The Scot has already come so close - fans couldn’t help but think that the lack of a full-time coach for the previous 18 months has been costly. But if anyone should know how Murray is feeling now, it’s the Czech former world number one.

The parallels are uncanny. Lendl lost four Slam finals before going on to to win eight in total. The pupil will hope that experience and wisdom will allow him to stop the rot at three. The coach didn’t break his duck till the age of 24 - no prizes for guessing how old the man from Dunblane is.

Having warmed up with victory in the Brisbane International last week, Andy Murray is finally poised for glory.