Andy Murray's coaching career is off to a winning start, but it was not without scares when Novak Djokovic came back from a set down to defeat 19-year-old Nishesh Basavareddy in the first round of the Australian Open.
The Scot took his place in the new courtside training booths at the Australian Open but, as plush and padded as those seats are, he wasn't always sitting comfortably.
With a first round against a Grand Slam debutant ranked outside the world's top 100, Murray could have hoped for an easy start and avoided any trouble.
But a magnificent opening performance by Basavareddy heightened the tension of the occasion and it was at the start of the second set with the match on the line that Djokovic gave Murray a dose of his own medicine, with a shout, a shrug and a display of the arms.
There was even a “chat” gesture, asking the new man to talk some more. Murray knows better than anyone that it's always the coach's fault.
“It was a bit of a strange experience having him on the court in my box,” Djokovic said. “He gave me some really good advice mid-match and after facing each other for 20 years it's great to have him on my side of the net.”
Novak Djokovic came back from a set down to book his place in the second round of the Australian Open
Andy Murray (right) took his place in the new Australian Open courtside training pods
Djokovic beat 19-year-old Nishesh Basavareddy (left) in the first round on Monday
The show of frustration came when Djokovic was shaken by a display of surprising maturity from his American opponent.
Basavareddy was brilliant, bubbling with the verve of youth and clawing his way to a one-set lead. He's not a power player, but his shot selection and touch play were really good. More of a court craftsman than a power hitter, 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.”
The teenager played against his idol last night (his WhatsApp profile picture is of Djokovic), but there were indeed many things in Basavarredy's game that reminded him of the Scot sitting stoically on his opponent's podium. A drop-shot-lob combination was surprisingly Murray-esque.
Another echo of Murray's early Grand Slam adventures, unfortunately, was that Basavarredy 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.
But for all the Californian's brilliance, Djokovic was not at his best. His ball speed seemed to have decreased and he was making unusual errors. In fact, Murray, sitting courtside, would have been forgiven for wondering where these kinds of mistakes were in the 2016, 2015, 2013 and 2011 finals.
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.
Basavareddy was brilliant, bubbling with the verve of youth and clawing his way to a one-set lead.
Djokovic was shaken by a display of surprising maturity from his American opponent.
Murray's (left) coaching career is off to a winning start, but not without scares.
He became more animated in the second and stood up every time Djokovic got break points. And when he finally broke the dam to go 5-3 up, he raised his fist loudly.
There wasn't much tactical advice or verbal encouragement that was picked up on the microphone, but he did urge Djokovic to make sure he found a first serve at a key point.
Overall, Murray didn't look entirely comfortable 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 being hidden in the stands with Djokovic's wife and the rest of the gang, he and three others are in view of most of the stadium.
Djokovic is a passionate man and as this relationship develops, and as the stakes in this event increase, he will probably need more of Murray on the court.
But this was a solid start for the new alliance, which fifth seed Daniil Medvedev compared this week to “Messi training Ronaldo.”