Great Britain's Hopman Cup campaign got off to a disappointing start yesterday with Andy Murray and Laura Robson losing to Italy by the narrowest of margins.
After Robson lost 7-5, 6-3 to Francesca Schiavone, the French Open champion, Murray overcame Potito Starace in straight sets to set up a deciding mixed doubles.
The first two sets were shared with the Italians clinching the match on a tie-break.
The result means Great Britain need to beat France tomorrow to stand a realistic chance of progressing in an event which acts as a warm-up for the season-opening grand slam in Melbourne.
Robson battled hard against Schiavone despite suffering from dizziness and earache but her opponent's superior experience finally counted.
Murray, the world No 4, levelled things up with a 7-5, 6-1 win over Starace but admitted afterwards he had been struggling physically in the Perth heat in his first match of 2011.
"It was a tough match. It's so hot, so humid in here I was struggling a little bit with my breathing," Murray said.
"I didn't feel very fit, I was breathing hard after four or five games, so hopefully that will improve over the next couple of weeks, but that's the goal to try and beat those guys in the big events and try and win my first grand slam."
In the other match in Group B, the United States' Bethanie Mattek-Sands and John Isner beat France's Kristina Mladenovic and Nicolas Mahut 3-0.