The anatomy of a winner stretches far beyond physical attributes. Andy Murray, though, has passed the most searching of examinations ofboth his will and his fitness in recent weeks.

The 21-year-old Scot faces the great expectations of the Australian Open after a winter of sublime content on court. He has won both an exhibition tournament in Abu Dhabi, beating both Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, and retained the Qatar ExxonMobil Open title, dismissing Federer en route to a facile victory over Andy Roddick.

Yet there has been a bucket of sweat expended off court. John Lloyd, as Great Britain's Davis Cup captain, has watched Murray closely over the past 12 months, and he is fully aware of his star player's determination to become the best.

"His work ethic was always good," said Lloyd, who is in Melbourne forthefirst grand slam tournament ofthe season, which starts on Monday. "But he has taken it to anentirely different level. Frankly, if you look at him as a physical specimen, you can see now that he can last all day on court."

Lloyd pointed out that Murray's winter schedule had emphasised how the world No.4 believes that fitness andstrength will be the key to progress this season. The youngster from Dunblane has moved into the top layer of the game, where every inch forward has to be fought for with both technique and brute strength.

"Andy took a week off after an exhausting season and then went to boot camp' for a month, with only one day off. He then went straight into competitive play. No-one be will be better prepared for the Australian Open," said Lloyd.

This preparation. insists the DavisCup captain, is vital to a player of Murray's attributes. "He needs to be in great shape because of the way he plays the game," said Lloyd. "Andy can change pace and angles. He is similar to Arthur Ashe's description of John McEnroe in that Andy slices and dices and cuts his opponents into a thousand little pieces. But this takes concentration and effort. But he is in amazing physical condition. And he will have to be."

Lloyd admitted he was never a player of Murray's class; the Englishman's highest ranking was No.21 in the world. Lloyd did, though, reach the final of theAustralian Open in 1977, losing to Vitas Gerulaitis in five sets.

This, and four grand slam finals as a mixed doubles specialist, has given him the experience of how gruelling a two-week major tournament can be. "On current form, Andy is simply world No.1," said Lloyd. "Nobody is playing better than him and now he has the belief that he can beat anybody, including the three ranked higher than him. And they know it, too. The tables have been turned in this respect."

There is evidence, too, that Murray's rise is grating on the top players, with Federer this week questioning Murray's role as favourite with some bookmakers for the first grand slam of the season.

Lloyd knows, too, that major tournaments present specific difficulties. "You need luck," he said. "For example, Andy could be unfortunate in the draw. He could come up against one of the players who simply returns everything and keeps him on court. This is not the best place to be in Melbourne. If you are playing early, you are competing in temperatures that can reach the high 90s. You also do not want to be involved in a five-setter, particularly if your next opponent has breezed through in three."

Murray, too, faces the added pressure of not having won a grand slam tournament. "That is a barrier," conceded Lloyd. "The first one is alwaysthe biggest one to get. That is why Novak Djokovic was judged to havehad such a spectacular year last year. Basically, his victory at the Australian Open defined his season."

Murray has reached a slam final, the US Open last year when he was beaten by Federer, but needs to take that significant step forward.

"There ispressure on him," admitted Lloyd. "The public and the media have installed him as favourite. So the expectation is very high. You could saythe honeymoon period is over for him. He is now considered a top gun. But he will handle that pressure. He is very, very tough mentally."

So what does Murray need to do to win in Melbourne? "It may seem weird to say this, but he doesn't need to improve at all," said Lloyd. "He is playing well enough at themoment to win it. He has improved in all areas of his game. He is fitter, hisfirst serve is strong and his second serve is better than ever. He is also simply a great tennis player who has allthe shots."

Lloyd, though, knows that Federer, Nadal and Djokovic are potential winners, too. They have all won grand slam titles and do not face that psychological hurdle that confronts Murray. "And there always seems to bea player who comes through the packat Melbourne," said Lloyd, perhapsrecalling his own journey in 1977 and the recent efforts of Marcos Baghdatis and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who defeated Murray in the first round last year en route to the final.

Lloyd, though, stands by the man he hopes will lead the Davis Cup team to victory against Ukraine in March at the Braehead Arena, near Glasgow.

"Andy has amazing confidence in hisability and now has to frank that with a grand slam victory. The first will be the hardest," said Lloyd. "I can see him amassing a few."

Murray has said that he has still to peak as a player and Lloyd agrees. "Heisgood enough to win a major now," said Lloyd, "but he will get better. His best years are in front of him.

"I don't want to even introduce a negative, but if he doesn't win a grand slam this season he should not panic. Indeed, it might take him two years to find his best game and that is frightening considering how good he is now."

The present, though, offers the first challenge. How far can Murray go in Melbourne?

"He can win it, he can win it," said Lloyd. The body of evidence does nothing to diminish this verdict.