Andy MurrayTramlines couldn't help but feel a sense of déjà vu watching Andy Murray on the middle Saturday of the first Grand Slam of the year.
We've been here before.
The Scot was imperious against Michael Llodra, who threw everything he could at his opponent only to be undone in straight sets.
Tramlines genuinely believes that if Murray had not had the mis-fortune to be born in the era of two of the greatest players of all time he would have a handful or Grand Slams to his name by now. But even we were beginning to question whether the Scot would ever manage to take that final step and actually win a major.
That is not to discredit Murray. As if trying to beat Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal was not bad enough, last year players also had to deal with a basically unbeatable Novak Djokovic. Only Djokovic and Juan Martin Del Potro have managed to break the Federer-Nadal monopoly on the last 27 Grand Slams.
But watching Murray demolish Llodra on Hisense Arena, Tramlines got the feeling once again that maybe this could be the Scot's year.
Of course, he is yet to face a really tough test, that will come next week as the tournament goes on, but with optimism at a high at the beginning of the year, Murray was impressive.
He looked fit and healthy, not to mention aggressive, something he has often been criticised for. The Scot's natural game has always been to wear down his opponents, despite being capable of aggressive play when it is needed. Against Llodra, he came out firing on all cylinders and even mixing up his game when it became apparent that the Frenchman was happy to scamper around the baseline.
A lot of that can be put down to Murray's new coach Ivan Lendl. Apart from his heavy top-spin forehand, Lendl was known for his metronomic consistency from the baseline and his aggressive, power hitting. And in just a matter of weeks, Murray seems to be taking that on board and incorporating it into his game.
More even than that though, Murray looked like he was having fun. Some of the credit deservedly should go to Llodra for that. The Frenchman clearly enjoys his time on court and jokes around even when two sets to love down.
His insistence on using the between-the-legs shot during the match as well as throwing himself around the court for acutely angled drop shots and volleys made the match much more entertaining to watch than its scoreline would suggest.
And Murray responded in kind coming up with some stunning shots and even cracking a smile once in a while as he romped to victory.
Of course, Tramlines is a cynical beast and any moment of optimism is always quickly tempered.
TL was definitely in a similar state of mind this time last year, when Murray reached the final only to be beaten by Djokovic in straight sets, and also two years ago when he was beaten by Federer, also in straight sets.
Benjamin Franklin's famous quote about the definition of insanity sprang to TL's mind as Murray wrapped up the match for the loss of just six games: that it is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.
And yet, with this new-found positive attitude, maybe this really could be Murray's year.
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SHOT OF THE DAY: Shot of the day and quite possibly shot of the tournament comes courtesy of Gael Monfils, although Tramlines can't help but feel if he concentrated a little less on showboating and a little more on winning, he might have an easier time of things. Far less entertaining for the crowd, mind.
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GAME OF THE DAY: Look no further than this incredible game from the Murray-Llodra match with the Scot serving for the second set. If you haven't seen it yet, you are in for a treat. And even if you have, it deserves repeated viewing.
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PHOTO OF THE DAY: We know it's been done before but Tramlines just loves Jo-Wilfried Tsonga's celebration dance and this photo of it; the enthusiasm is catching just by looking at it!
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga celebrates his third round win
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LOOKING AHEAD: The real work starts on day seven as the fourth round gets underway. Defending champion Kim Clijsters takes on the woman she beat in last year's final Li Na but for a classic Australian Open experience look no further than young gun Bernard Tomic's clash with four-times champion Roger Federer. First up on Rod Laver Arena in the night session, expect the atmosphere to be electric.
