Andy Murray has enjoyed a bit of a love-hate relationship with Rotterdam but the Scot hopes that his efforts in the Dutch port city this week will set the tone for the rest of the year.

Murray begins his title bid at the ABN/AMRO World Indoor Tournament today against France's Nicolas Mahut, a man he's beaten in three of their four meetings.

It will be his first outing since his defeat in the final of the Australian Open, a loss that hurt but one that he expects to shake off more easily than his three other near-misses in Melbourne.

Murray arrived in Rotterdam with his game-face on and he will hoping this week is more 2009 - when he won the title - than 2008 or 2011, when he was beaten in round one.

Twelve months ago, Murray lost in the quarter-finals and the 27-year-old, restored to the top four again, wants to lift the level of his performance week in, week out.

"This year it's important that I try to maintain a consistent level throughout the year," he told Sky Sports. "Last year I was quite up and down with my performances.

"I think if I can try to maintain my form like it was at the start of the year at the Australian Open, my ranking will go in the right direction, whereas last year that wasn't the case at all.

"I want to try to focus on that, try to prepare as best I can for each tournament. That's really the goal for the year."

It is just 10 days since Murray was beaten in four sets by Novak Djokovic, a sixth defeat in eight grand slam finals.

But finishing second in a 128-man event - as he described it this week - is no mean feat and Murray is targeting success in what will be a busy month, taking in Dubai and Davis Cup before heading to Palm Springs for the first of two back-to-back Masters 1000 events.

The way he played in Melbourne, including wins over Grigor Dimitrov and Tomas Berdych, before pushing Djokovic close in the final, has convinced him he is on the right track.

Murray will have to do things alone this week, with coach Amelie Mauresmo not in Rotterdam, but he will have been warmed by the words of Lleyton Hewitt, who yesterday backed him to add to his tally of two grand slam titles.

"He's still got a lot of chances," said Hewitt, who yesterday was confirmed as a wildcard for the Aegon Championships at London's Queen's Club this summer.

"To me he's back moving to his old self. He obviously had some back and hip issues for two or three years there, but I feel likes there's a massive difference from 12 months ago at the Australian Open to this year at the Australian Open."

Murray had hoped to get a bit of extra match practice in at the Ahoy ArenA yesterday but his doubles partner Gilles Muller pulled out through illness.

One Murray's misfortune was another Murray's good luck, however, as Jamie Murray and John Peers, beaten in the final round of the qualifying event, were awarded their place in the draw as lucky losers.