Murray insists he can win Australian Open

 ANDY Murray will open his Australian Open account on the Rod Laver Arena show court against lowly-ranked qualifier Kevin Anderson.

CONFIDENT: Andy Murray talks to the media ahead of his first match at the Australian Open on Monday (Getty Images)

The six foot, eight inch South African, ranked 142 places below world number five Murray, has never progressed beyond the opening round at Melbourne Park in his two previous visits.

Murray will follow Maria Sharapova, who plays fellow Russian Maria Kirilenko, and US Open champion Kim Clijsters, who takes on Canada's Valerie Tetreault.

With play due to start at 11am, it means the Scot, who arrived early in Australia to prepare for the ferocious conditions, could be playing in the full and unremitting heat of the afternoon sun.

Weather worries aside, Murray's opening encounter might look straightforward but he faces a potential nightmare run to a second career Grand Slam final.

And, if the draw goes with seeding, he'll need to beat Rafael Nadal, US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro and world number one Roger Federer to lift the trophy.

"I need to make sure I win my first match and get to the quarter-final for it to be a problem," said Murray.

"I feel pretty relaxed mentally and physically I feel good, I feel ready. My game is there and I think I've got a really good chance against any of the guys.

"I just need to make sure I play my best tennis and not get too far ahead of myself. 

"But I believe I can win it."

Defending champion Nadal opens the first evening session on the Rod Laver Arena against Australian Peter Luczak while Jelena Dokic, who made a run to last year's quarter-finals, will again look to get the home crowd on their feet when she takes on Alisa Kleybanova, the number 27 seed.

Wildcard and former champion Justine Henin starts her Grand Slam comeback, after 20 months on the sidelines, against fellow Belgian Kirsten Flipkens on the Hisense Arena.

Meanwhile, British women's number one Elena Baltacha is scheduled first on court seven against France's Pauline Parmentier and Katie O'Brien is third on court ten for her game with Austria's Patrica Mayr.

World number 287 Louk Sorensen, who became the first Irish player to reach the main draw of a Grand Slam in a quarter of a century, will look to continue his form against Chinese Taipei's Yen Hsun Lee, the world number 101. The pair are scheduled as the final match on court 11.