As plush and padded as the Australian Open's new coaching cabins are, Andy Murray wasn't always sitting comfortably on his dugout debut.
The Scottish-Serbian entente are off to a winning start, but Novak Djokovic had to come from behind to defeat 19-year-old Nishesh Basavareddy, and as he toiled in the first set, Murray would have been forgiven for wondering: “Where were these?” What kind of mistakes in the 2016, 2015, 2013 and 2011 Melbourne finals?
With a first round against a Grand Slam debutant ranked outside the world's top 100, Murray might have expected an easy start for his old rival, but a superb opening from 19-year-old American Nishash Basavareddy added to the tension of the occasion.
At the start of the second set, with the match on the line, Djokovic gave Murray his first dose of his own medicine, with a shout, a shrug and a wave of his arms toward his coaches. There was even a “chat” gesture, as if asking the new man to step up the advice.
At the end of the match, instead of celebrating, Djokovic threw a ball and pointed angrily at the capsule.
But there were many exchanges of fists and a couple of times Djokovic came over to chat. After the match, Djokovic praised his latest employee.
Andy Murray's coaching career got off to a winning start but Novak Djokovic had to fight back against teenager Nishesh Basavareddy.
The Serbian lost the first set but came back to reach the second round of the Australian Open
Murray started calmly but became very involved in the clash and Djokovic said he appreciated the support.
“Communication is key to understanding each other and finding the formula that really works,” said the 37-year-old. 'We are still in that first phase of getting to know each other.
'I really like the feeling of having Andy as my coach. He was giving me his feedback, his guidance and opinion.
'He was very good today. He was on his feet several times, trying to encourage and support me. I really enjoyed it.
'He's a great guy. “It's a pleasure to have him in my corner.”
All sweetness and light after the match, but this was a difficult start for Djokovic that could have become more complicated if his opponent's physical condition had not deteriorated.
For a set and a half, Basavareddy was brilliant, bubbling with the verve of youth. He's not a power player, but his shot selection and touch play were really good. He took Djokovic out of position and was always ready with a nice dropshot when the time was right.
“To be honest, I had never seen him play until three or four days ago, I didn't know much about him,” Djokovic said. “These games are always complicated, always dangerous, he had nothing to lose. Very complete player, he pleasantly surprised me with his shots and his fighting spirit.
“I think we'll see a lot of that in the future.”
Djokovic praised Basavareddy and said he hopes to see him “a lot in the future”
At times, Murray seemed uncomfortable under the gaze of the Australian Open coaching group.
Djokovic is a passionate man and will need to see Murray cheer him on more than he does.
The teenager was playing against his idol on Monday (his WhatsApp profile photo is of Djokovic), but to this observer Basavareddy's game was more reminiscent of the Scot's. A drop-shot-lob combination was surprisingly Murray-esque.
Sadly, another echo of Murray's early Grand Slam adventures was that Basavareddy suffered cramps late in the second set and appeared physically compromised thereafter. But the score of 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 was more than respectable.
So what kind of figure did Murray cut on the bench? He was certainly on the Ivan Lendl side of the spectrum, doing a passable impression of an Easter Island statue in the first set.
He became more animated in the second and stood up every time Djokovic got a break point. And when the 10-time champion finally broke the dam to take a 5-3 lead, he raised his fist loudly.
There wasn't much tactical advice or verbal encouragement that was caught on the microphone, but Djokovic made an interesting comment on the topic after the match: “Sometimes we don't need to exchange words because we just look at each other and we know what happened on the court.” , whether in the game or in practice.
Overall, Murray didn't seem completely calm and that's understandable. On the one hand, this is all very new to him, and on the other, the new groups at the Australian Open may be a bit eye-opening. Instead of hiding in the stands with Djokovic's wife and the rest of the gang, he and three other members of Djokovic's team were in plain sight for most of the stadium.
Djokovic is a passionate man and as this relationship develops, and as the stakes in this event increase, he will need Murray to encourage him more than he did on Monday night.
“I enjoy spending time with him on and off the court, just picking his brain and understanding how he sees tennis,” Djokovic said. “He is constantly supportive and encouraging. He's brilliant with that.
“He cares a lot and is putting a lot of energy into trying to make me feel good on the court. I think that's what I need, honestly. I was looking for that extra motivation.
“I definitely have it with Andy.”