MELBOURNE -- In the second game of the match, Alexander Zverev's nose began to bleed. The German sauntered over to the sideline, sat in his changeover chair and lodged a white cotton towel up his nostril while he waited for the trainer.
After a few minutes, play resumed, but the bleeding had only begun. Zverev was overwhelmed by his much more accomplished opponent, No. 2 Andy Murray, and lost 6-1, 6-2, 6-3 in the first round of the Australian Open.
Murray was admittedly wary of Zverev, 18, heading into the encounter. Two weeks ago, they met at the Hopman Cup, and though Murray won the match in straight sets, he described Zverev as a big guy who moves well and hits hard.
Defense ultimately decided this encounter. Murray committed only 20 errors -- 22 fewer than his opponent -- while breaking Zverev five times to move into the second round.
"Alex made it tough at the end," Murray said in his on-court interview. "We had long games and long rallies. He fought through to the end. The conditions were tough. It started to get hot when the clouds went away."
Murray has won Wimbledon and US Open championships, but he is arguably more comfortable playing on the courts at Melbourne Park.
Carrying the momentum of a Davis Cup title into this season, Murray is a four-time runner-up at the Aussie Open. He has reached the semifinals every year but one since 2009, yet he has no winner's trophy to show for his efforts.
"There's no guarantees, but it's definitely possible because I've been so close in the past," Murray said of his prospects for finally winning. "There's no reason why I can't, but I'll need to play my best -- even my best ever -- if I want to do it."
A year ago, Murray navigated his way to the final before running into five-time Aussie Open winner Novak Djokovic. It was the third time the top-ranked Serb prevented Murray from taking the title.
After their respective first-round wins, there is little to suggest we won't see another rematch in two weeks' time. On Monday, Djokovic kick-started his latest Aussie campaign with a lopsided straight-sets win over one of the game's up-and-comers, Hyeon Chung.
Murray joined Milos Raonic in the second round Tuesday. The Canadian, coming off a title in Brisbane to open the season, made quick work of Lucas Pouille by winning his match in less than 90 minutes. Raonic is playing his first Grand Slam event under new coach Carlos Moya.
Despite Murray's consistent performances in Melbourne, it should be noted that no man in the Open era has won a Grand Slam title after losing four finals at that major.
An ominous sign for the Scot? Perhaps, but he has a history of overcoming longstanding curses. At Wimbledon in 2013, Murray famously buried the ghost of Fred Perry by becoming the first native player to capture the All England title since Perry did it 77 years prior.
Zverev, a former junior Australian Open champ, ended 2015 as the youngest player in the top 100 and earned the ATP Star of Tomorrow Award last season. Currently ranked No. 83, the German is a prototypical modern-day power player.
Late in the first set, Zverev's athleticism was on full display. After a Murray drop-shot, Zverev scrambled to the net, scooped the ball from his shoelaces, made a beeline back to the baseline and flicked a backhand squash shot to stay in the point. He ultimately ended the rally with a running, down-the-line forehand.
But he made too made mistakes. Despite averaging a 127 mph first serve, Zverev double-faulted seven times and failed to convert any of his six break-point chances against Murray.
"I remember when I was 18 and played a lot of tough matches against older players," Murray said. "I learned a lot every single time. Alex fought hard until the end and probably learned a lot about himself."