Australian Open: Yuki Bhambri goes down fighting against Andy Murray

Melbourne: British sixth seed Andy Murray advanced to the second round of the Australian Open with a testing straight sets workout against India's Yuki Bhambri on Monday.

Murray won 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (7/3) and will now play Australian Marinko Matosevic in the next round.

A three-time runner-up at Melbourne Park, Murray had not played Bhambri before and found him a tricky opponent in the 2hr 13min match on Margaret Court Arena.

Bhambri, the lowest-ranked player in the men's draw at 317, provided the Scot with a decent encounter ahead of his anticipated bigger challenges in the year's first Grand Slam tournament.

"Yuki made it very difficult, he played very aggressive, he came to the net, he's very talented and he made it tough," Murray said.

"I've never hit with him or seen him play before so that made it tricky as well."

Murray always had the edge over the Indian, who is coached at the Nick Bollettieri Academy in Florida, and had his serve broken twice in the first and third sets.

A two-time Grand Slam champion, Murray is bidding to become the first player to win the Australian Open title after losing three finals in Melbourne.