Stan Wawrinka insists a potential fourth-round Australian Open showdown with Nick Kyrgios is far from his mind.

The Swiss fourth seed will launch his campaign at Melbourne Park on Monday against Slovakian left-hander Martin Klizan.

The 2014 Australian Open champion is likely to have a straightforward path through the opening rounds in his quest to add a fourth grand slam title to his collection.

But he could face a major challenge from Kyrgios, who has already beaten him twice and is likely to await him in the round of 16 should he overcome the knee injury that has troubled him in the lead-up .

The pair have a chequered history, with Kyrgios infamously delivering a lewd sledge to Wawrinka during a match in Montreal in 2015.

Wawrinka says he’s not looking that far ahead, describing world No.35 Klizan as a dangerous first-round opponent.

“I’m not there yet. He (Kyrgios) is not there yet neither,” the reigning US Open champion said on Saturday.

“For me, it’s all about focus, what we do (in) the first round. If I won the first round, then it’s going to be the second round.

“We all know how the draw is. But at the end the focus, it’s in the first match because if you don’t pass it, you never get to that match.”

Wawrinka looms as a serious contender after winning a slam in each of the past three years.

The 31-year-old typically starts his year at the Chennai Open in India, where he is a four-time champion, but opted to mix it up for the first time in nine years and play at the Brisbane International this time around.

Despite losing to Kei Nishikori in the semi-finals, Wawrinka says Brisbane was the ideal place to prepare for his Open campaign.

“I wanted to change a little bit to see some new city, some new tournament. It’s also good mentally,” he said.

“I think it was a great week. I really enjoy there, the city, the people at the tournament, the fans … it was a perfect start of the year.”