Australian Open 2016: Andy Murray beats Alexander Zverev in straight sets to progress

Andy Murray beat German teenager Alexander Zverev in straight sets (6-1 6-2 6-3) to reach the second round of the Australian Open in Melbourne. The 28-year-old Brit produced a dominant display to ease past the former junior world number one.

Murray subsequently revealed he was relieved to have won in straight sets given the soaring temperatures in Melbourne on 19 January. "It got tough at the end," Murray explained, according to the tournament's official website.

"A lot of long games and rallies and Alex fought right through to the last point, so that made it very competitive at the end. It was obviously tough conditions today. It started to get very hot when the clouds went away. So I was glad to get it done in straight sets.

"In the third set, it seemed like all the games were going to deuce. On his serve, I think maybe three or four of the games went to deuce and, like I said, he hung in right to the end and made it hard. He's young but he's one of the best young players in the world, and he's going to be around for a long time."

The world number two will face Australian Sam Groth - who boasts one of the fastest serves in the game - in the second round. However, the Scot is determined to progress in the tournament and finally win in Melbourne, where he has been the runner-up on four occasions already.

"I've been close on a number of occasions and played well in some of the finals but just not sustained my level for long enough," Murray admitted. "I was up a break in the third set last year in the final and lost my way, and you can't afford to do that against the best players in the world. If I get into that position again, hopefully I will have learned from that and not let that happen again."