Perception for Andy Murray has changed from 'moody as hell' to 'good guy', says Thanasi Kokkinakis ahead of their Australian Open R2 clash

Andy Murray and Thanasi Kokkinakis are all set to lock horns in the second round of the 2023 Australian Open, in what will be their only second meeting on the tour.

The former World No. 1 Scot battled 14th-ranked Matteo Berrettini for four hours and 49 minutes in the first round and even saved a match point to defeat the Italian 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 6-7(7), 7-6(6). Kokkinakis, on the other hand, breezed past Fabio Fognini 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 in their opener to extend his head-to-head lead to 3-0 against the Italian.

Murray and Kokkinakis will fight each other at the Margaret Court Arena on Thursday to reach the third round. In their only meeting so far, which came in 2015, the three-time Grand Slam champion downed the Australian in straight sets.

During a press conference after his first-round win, Kokkinakis stated that he had a lot of respect for the 35-year-old. The two players share a cordial relationship off the court, with Murray helping the 26-year-old on multiple occasions.

"Andy is someone I respect a great amount," Kokkinakis said. "Obviously, he has been at the top of the game, and he can relate a little bit to the injury side of things. I missed a fair few years, and so has he, especially recently. He was someone when I came onto the tour, who was always willing to give some advice when he thought."

The Aussie added that as a kid, he thought of Andy Murray as being "moody as hell." However, upon getting to know him better, Kokkinakis realized that he was a "ripper bloke."

"I remember watching him when I was younger, thinking this dude looks moody as hell, he looks miserable. Then when you got to know him, he is actually a ripper bloke and a good guy. Yeah, put all that aside and give it a crack tomorrow. But someone I have the utmost respect for," he added.

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"Ready for the best version of Andy Murray" - Thanasi Kokkinakis

Thanasi Kokkinakis (L) and Andy Murray

Andy Murray registered a thumping 6-3, 6-0, 6-3 win over Thanasi Kokkinakis in the 2015 Davis Cup semifinals when Great Britain took on Australia. Although the match was held over seven years ago, Kokkinakis still remembers it. However, he is confident of returning the favor to the Scot when the two players meet each other in Melbourne on Thursday.

"It's going to be a tough match," Kokkinakis said. "I watched a fair bit of his match against Berrettini and he played great. He is looking in good shape. He may have lost a little bit, but his anticipation is just as good as ever, and he can still play at the top of the best of them.

"I'm going to be ready for the best version of Murray, and, yeah, I'm going to go out there and play my game, play aggressive, and hopefully come out best."