Sam Querrey with some fine defence to stay in the rally at 30-30, but there are no mistakes from Andy Murray as he slaps away a killer forehand.

Sam Querrey opens up with a love hold, luring Andy Murray's internal monologue out into the open once again.

A long chunter at himself as they swap ends.

John-Laffnie de Jager, Heather Watson's coach, on 5 live sports extra: “I was impressed with Querrey’s game plan in the first set, dominating with his forehand and trying to come forward. He had some success but Andy played a great game at 4-3 to break him. Querrey needs to serve better – 57% of first serves is not enough against Andy Murray.”

No sliding off that hook.

Saltires flap in the crowd, mother Judy clenches a fist in players box and all is sunny in Murrayland.

Sam Querrey has been at the top of his game for the 42 minutes of the first set so far, and has come away with nothing to show for it.

Andy Murray swats a contemptuous forehand across court to buy his way to deuce.

A break point, comes and goes. But Murray brings up a second with some ju-jitsu tennis, turning Querrey's firepower back on the American.

Querrey wallops that off the table with a piledriver of a forehand across court.

Sublime defences from Murray, moonballing and chasing, give him deuce.  A whipcrack return brings up a third break point.

And a trademark cross-court lob drops perfect to finally snap the American's serve.

Querrey turned and looked forlornly, hoping that shot was out, but knowing that it would be in,

Image source, Getty Images

Andy Murray is being hustled here.

Sam Querrey comes cantering into the net behind a nothing-much shot and Murray is distracted enough to bump long.

Break point Querrey.

Murray sends a foxy second serve down the tee. Querrey was wide, expecting something to his backhand, and never gets back in the rally.

Danger averted.

Sam Querrey plants a forehand wide to give Murray a glimmer at 30-30. Is the American's ground game beginning to break down?

Nope, a terrific zippy backhand leaves Murray for dead and helps him to a hold.

Querrey is not quite on the seismic form that send tremors around SW19 last summer, but he is not far off.

Some very tidy tennis from the big man in the opening set so far.

Andy Murray keeps his serve out of reach.

But I was briefly distracted by Sam Querrey's revelation that the locker-room has been chatting Trump.

"The subject of Trump comes up in the locker room, of course it does. It’s been such a big story these past six months, so it’s been unavoidable," he said.

“Guys from other countries ask my opinion and I’m happy to tell them.

“Hopefully America can get behind him and we do some great things."

I wonder what feedback Querrey got from his international audience.

Image source, Getty Images

Sam Querrey hits service winners on the first two points and that is a head start that Murray cannot pull back.

A nice little poked winner down the line from the Scot as he darts forward and runs down Querrey's drop volley.

But Querrey slugs his way through...

A bit of housekeeping.

Andy Murray asks a spectator to sit still in one of the seats at the opposite end of the court.

Murray can be put off by such things, but he keeps his eye on the prize and levels up the scoreboard.

John-Laffnie de Jager, Heather Watson's coach, on 5 live sports extra: “I think always when you have an ankle injury, you’re scared to push off at the start, but Andy would not come out if he wasn’t 100%. I spoke to Ivan Lendl a little bit this morning and he said Andy was ready to play.”

Sam Querrey does not want to biff and bat from the back of the court.

Anything within range, anytime that he is not rushed on his feet, he is ripping his forehand and finding holes in the Murray defences.

Murray wins a longer exchange to get to within 40-30, but more caveman-style serving from Querrey gets him over the line.

Sam Querrey gives Andy Murray something to chew on as he changes up a gear and slaps a forehand response to Murray's slice.

Into the net comes the American to slide away the volley.

Punchy.

A crunched backhand from Querrey brings up 40-30. Murray wallops away an ace to see off the danger, but Querrey is not going to die wondering.

A positive start from the big man.

Sam Querrey is seventh in the tournament ace hitlist, having knocked down 40 in his first two matches.

That first game showed his gameplan in case Andy Murray missed the stat.

Massive clonking power from over his head and Murray, diving left and right at the other end, can't make an impression.

A hold to love.

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The players are out on court, knocking up after a quick pre-match snap with the coin-toss kid.

Sam Querrey is decked out in baggy shirt, knee-length shorts and white cap. He doesn't look like an athlete particularly, more like a club player who forget his bag and has had to rummage around in lost property for some kit.

But appearances, as Denis Istomin showed, can be deceptive.

Sam Querrey to serve.

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So Sam Querrey, what have you been up to since last summer?

2016 tailed off quite significantly for the 29-year-old who followed a first-round defeat to Janko Tipsarevic at the US Open with similarly early exits in the next three tournaments.

His warm-up for Melbourne was also less than spectacular, losing to world number 54 Diego Schwartzman in the first round in Brisbane, but he has seen of wildcards (Quentin Halys and Alex De Minaur) in his first two matches at Melbourne Park.

He has won once in his previous seven meetings with Andy Murray, picking up his solitary victory in Los Angeles in 2010. But he and Donald Young beat Andy's older brother Jamie and partner Bruno Soares in the first round of the doubles event this week.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

While we are getting ahead of ourselves, let's take a look at how Murray's route to the title could pan out.

If things got according to rankings, we are looking at:

Fourth round: Mischa Zverev (Murray's W-L record against opponent: 1-0)

Quarter-finals: Kei Nishikori (8-2)

Semi-finals: Stan Wawrinka (10-7)

Final: Milos Raonic (9-3)

Image source, Five Thirty Eight

An interesting take, external from stat superbrains Five Thirty Eight on Novak Djokovic's lack of a Grand Slam title since the French Open last year.

The Serb's rate of Major collection is slowing around the same age that Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Pete Sampras also struggled to add to their tally.

BBC tennis correspondent Russell Fuller has had his say.

"The burning desire to become only the eighth man in history to win all four of the sport's Grand Slams drove Djokovic forward," he writes. 

"An unwitting consequence of that magnificent achievement appears to be a diminished appetite for the incessant demands of the tennis tour."

Read more here. 

Image source, EPA

Today it is Andy Murray who plays Querrey, but it in the wake of another Novak Djokovic implosion.

The world number two was sent spiralling out of the Australian Open in the second round yesterday at the unlikely hands of Uzbek wildcard Denis Istomin.

Andy Murray's odds have fallen as sharply as a post-Brexit pound.

After five final defeats, is this the year that he finally reels in the Australian Open crown?

Image source, Getty