A NEW year, a clean slate and the same old sad story for British tennis.

Just two days into the 2015 curtain-raising Australian Open and already Andy Murray is the sole survivor.

James Ward and Kyle Edmund both perished in round one, while women’s number one Heather Watson also fell at the first hurdle in Melbourne.

As usual, Murray is left flying the flag even before the tournament has eased out of first gear.

As he has been at every single Grand Slam throughout his career — and likely will be until he retires.

For the supporting cast just aren’t up to it.

Ward, the British number two, has never been beyond the second round of a Grand Slam — at Wimbledon in 2012 — and he’s no spring chicken at 27.

Edmund has time on his side at 20 but has still yet to win a match in the main draw at any of the four majors.

Ironically, there had been high hopes for Watson after she climbed to a world ranking of 38 on the back of winning the Hobart International earlier this month.

But she was comfortably seen off by the lower-ranked Tsvetana Pironkova 6-4, 6-0, although Watson, who has recently battled back from glandular fever, later said she felt unwell.

However, a first-round victory at Wimbledon in 2010 remains the 22-year-old’s only Grand Slam success.

Respected BBC correspondent Russell Fuller reckons Watson has the ability to one day reach the second week of a Slam.

Which, while a respectable target, is a sorry state of affairs as far as the bigger picture is concerned. Because, let’s not forget, to do that a player only needs to win three matches.

It would great if, led by Watson, 2015 finally brought better things for British tennis on the big stage, but it hasn’t been a good start.