Jamie Murray starts year with new partner and new hope

Posted: Tuesday 6th January 2009 | 8:44

JAMIE Murray and new partner Dusan Vemic were forced the distance in their opening match of the ATP Tour season in Brisbane.

The British doubles number one faced a tough first round draw against experienced Austrians Julian Knowle and Jurgen Melzer.

Along with Serbian Vemic, he lost the first set on a tie break but bounced back with two early breaks to force a match tie-break, which they won at a canter to secure a 6-7, 6-2 10-4 victory in 98 minutes.

However, they face a tough task in the quarter-finals with Brazilian second seeds Marcelo Melo and Andre Sa their likely opponents.

Murray is hoping his partnership with the 32-year old Vemic will reinvigorate his fledgling doubles career, after a disappointing season with Max Mirnyi last year.

Despite winning a fourth ATP Tour career doubles title at Delray Beach, the partnership with the Belarusian, dubbed the Beast, never gelled.

"The 2008 season didn't work out as well as I hoped, said Murray.

"Going into the year, I had aspirations of doing well with Max but it never really worked out and we never really clicked. We worked hard but it didn't happen.

"Dusan asked me to play with him and we get on well, so it made sense. A partnership is something you work on - you have to find the right attitude to win and it will take some time."

However, Murray will play with Eric Butorac - with whom he won three Tour titles in 2007 in a partnership dubbed Booty and Stretch - at the Australian Open because Vemic had already made playing commitments.