When Andy Murray is the last one standing - yet again - before the second day of a grand slam event is over, it's hard to be overly optimistic about the state of British tennis.

There is no denying that defeats for Heather Watson, James Ward and Kyle Edmund were a disappointment.

But while none of them made excuses, there were good reasons why victory was beyond them and while the future may yet be rosy.

While 20-year-old Edmund was outplayed by the vastly more experienced American Steve Johnson in his 6-4, 6-4, 6-3 defeat, the biggest disappointment surrounded Watson.

The 22-year-old from Guernsey had arrived in Melbourne on a high after winning the WTA title in Hobart, the second tournament victory of her career.

But in a cruel turn of luck, Watson was struggling physically on the day and went down 6-4, 6-0 to Tsvetana Pironkova.

Watson said the problem was nothing to do with the glandular fever that forced her off the Tour for a few months in 2013.

And had the match taken place the next day or even on day one, Watson said she probably would have been close to 100 percent.

But on the chosen day, she was lacking energy and unable to take the attack to Pironkova, a former semi-finalist at Wimbledon.

"Yesterday I just kind of woke up not feeling that great," she said. "Just kind of bloated and weak and not that good and I feel like that today as well.

"I just struggled on the court to have energy and against any player here you can't be like that. It's tough enough when you're fit let alone when you're not.

"It's really frustrating especially at the one time I really do want all my energy, want to be 100 per cent. "But it happens and you're dealt different cards on different days and I should have dealt with it better."

Watson, who later described the problems as "girl things", had climbed to a career - high ranking of 38 after winning in Hobart and could not hide her frustration at a missed opportunity.

"I felt great [after Hobart]," she said. "I didn't celebrate too much because I had the Australian Open on my mind and I did everything I could to prepare and get ready for this but it's a real shame. And it sucks."

Watson will compete in the doubles here before returning to London to prepare for Fed Cup duty in February, before events in Doha and then Dubai.

For one set of his match with Spain's Fernando Verdasco, Ward looked like he might buck the trend as he took it 6-2 with some outstanding play.

The Englishman, who has risen to the verge of the top 100 after improving his fitness with the help of Murray, was outplayed in the second but it was the third set that proved pivotal.

Ward broke in the opening game but was broken back for 4-4, only to then lead 5-4 with two serves to come in the tiebreak before Verdasco won it 8-6 and then took the fourth thanks to one break.

"It was a very good level from both of us," said Ward, who also revealed that he had been coping with some sad news after the death of his grandmother a few days before the tournament began.

"He said that to me at the end as well. But I had chances, at 5-4 in the third-set tiebreak and serving, which you learn from. I can't do much about it now but I'll go away and watch it again and if I'm in the same position again, I'll try and do something a little different."

Murray has been impressed by Ward's work ethic in recent years and invited him to practice with him in Miami before Christmas.

The work is clearly paying off and it was only Verdasco's greater experience and a couple of serving bullets that denied the Briton in that third set.

"Obviously, I'm working hard," Ward said. "I'm stronger and fitter than ever. A lot of different people have commentated on that, which is nice because you know it's paying off.

"Coming in here, after a good pre-season, it was good to show what I can do, the way I can move and the level I can play at and it came down to a couple of points. If it went the other way, I'd be sitting here having won in four."

Of the three, Edmund was probably the least disappointed, having won through qualifying to make the main draw.

In Johnson, he found an opponent too strong and too experienced but put up a good fight before going out.

"You learn more from your losses," the very composed Edmund said. "Obviously, you don't want to lose all the time, but when it does happen you have to take it positively. The guy's ranked No.39 in the world. He's a good player. I just have to keep looking to improve."