Not since Andy Murray started to become established as a contender in the big tournaments has there been such a low-key build up to a grand slam.
An excellent job has been done of playing down expectations ahead of the Australian Open by Murray and his camp, to such an extent that you’d struggle to find anyone who thinks he will be last man standing.
I’m not about to stick my head above the parapet and predict grand slam number three, but what I would say is that the draw has given him the best possible chance in the circumstances.
Normally we skip over the first few rounds with Murray predictions and look straight to the quarter-finals, and in so doing, the prospect of Federer, then Nadal, then Djokovic would leave us somewhere between pessimism and dread.
I actually think for a comeback from injury championship that this is for Murray, he’s got the best draw possible.
Lacking match fitness and sharpness, his only hope is step by step improvement.
He’s been given the chance of doing that by avoiding dangerous first and second round opponents. From there on, if he can plot his way to the semi-final, he’ll know he doesn’t have the miles in the tank to slug it out from the baseline with the main men, which would force him to go for his shots a bit more, and a bit earlier, than he is still inclined to do.
That would be no bad thing.
Don’t expect Murray to win the Australian Open, but don’t dismiss the notion either.