LEAD: Murray muddles through with suspect fitness in Brisbane

Jan 3, 2012, 13:09 GMT

Brisbane, Australia - Top seed Andy Murray engineered a great escape to start his 2012 season in dramatic fashion with a nail-biting 5-7, 6-3, 6-2 defeat of Mikhail Kukushkin at the Brisbane International on Tuesday.

Murray, who had a strapping on his knee and reported back pain, and last played in London more than a month ago when he was unable to continue in the year-end event with a groin injury, looked seriously close to defeat against the Kazak in a Brisbane debut.

'He was hitting winners from all over the place. I was a little bit slow, I didn't expect him to come out swinging like that in the first match of the year,' said Murray. 'You have to be mentally ready from the start, and I wasn't quite there.

'I played better at the end, my body loosened up a little bit so hopefully I pull up OK tomorrow.'

Murray is coming off his fourth consecutive number four finish last season, where he won five ATP titles, three in a row in a splendid autumn in Asia.

The Scot is counting the hours until he begins work with freshly hired advisor Ivan Lendl, due in Australia on Friday from the US in time to prepare for the Australian Open.

Against Kukushkin, ranked 91, Murray looked to be in huge trouble, trailing 1-5 in the first set and saving a set point before losing 7-5 after 58 minutes. The Scot slowly turned the tide to produce the fighting victory.

He will next face Gilles Muller of Luxembourg in the Australian Open tune-up event, his only tournament prior to the January 16 start of the major.

Men's fifth seed Kei Nishikori beat German Cedric-Marcel Stebe 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 while number six Radek Stepanek disappointed home fans with his defeat of Australian Matthew Ebden 6-4, 3-6, 6-3.

Austrian seventh seed Juergen Melzer lost to doubles partner Philipp Petzschner in the first round 6-1, 7-5. German veteran Tommy Haas, 34 and ranked 205, schooled Aussie Marino Matosevic 6-3, 7-5 in a winning start.

In women's play, Germany also put second seed Andrea Petkovic into the quarter-finals as she beat Czech Barbora Zahlavova Strycova 7-6 (7-2), 6-0. Former French Open champion Francesca Schiavone of Italy also advanced to the last eight.

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