Murray hungry for Melbourne success
Four-time beaten Australian Open finalist Andy Murray hopes to end his losing streak in Melbourne with victory in 2016.
Andy Murray hopes to hit the ground running at the Australian Open next month as he looks to end his Melbourne hoodoo.
The world number two has reached the final of the year's first grand slam on four occasions between 2010 and 2015, but he has yet to come away as champion.
Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic are the men to have denied him that title, the later on three occasions, but the tournament remains one of Murray's favourites and he hopes 2016 will see a change in fortune.
"It's a tournament I've played my best tennis at most years, I've played really well there but it just hasn't quite happened at the end of the event unfortunately," he told Omnisport.
"The thing I really like about the Aussie Open is that I do feel like the hard work you put in December and the off-season you see paying off immediately.
"A lot of players may take a bit more time off, but I think if you really work and train hard in the build-up to Australia you really see the results.
"It's incredibly physical, tough conditions and so long as I work hard and prepare well I believe I can have another good run there."
Murray finished 2015 on a high after guiding Great Britain to Davis Cup triumph over Belgium in November, while he ends the season second in the world rankings, the highest year-end placing in his career.
He added: "I think it's a good thing [being number two], but the higher you are in the rankings doesn't guarantee anything when the competition starts.
"Everyone is on a level playing field at beginning of each week, but if you prepare properly and perform well it means you can have a slightly easier passage to the later stages of the events, which helps, any player will tell you that.
"One thing I have to make sure of over the next six to eight weeks – in the build-up to the Australian Open – is that I get enough rest and recovery."