MELBOURNE, Australia — In his first Grand Slam match with the elevated status of having a knighthood and the No. 1 ranking, Andy Murray berated himself when he made mistakes during a 7-5, 7-6 (5), 6-2 win over Illya Marchenko.

The five-time finalist took the first step toward a first Australian Open title.

Angelique Kerber, who is defending a major title and is also the No. 1 seed at a Grand Slam for the first time, posted a 6-2, 5-7, 6-2 win over Lesia Tsurenko.