Andy Murray has been knocked out of the Rome Open following a 7-6 3-6 2-6 defeat to Richard Gasquet in the third round of the tournament.
The British number one took a while to force an impact in the early stages of the contest with both competitors holding their serves well. However, it was the Scotsman that found the breakthrough in the first set.
The first break of serve proved to be vital for Murray, who went on to take the opening set but it was not without a challenge as Gasquet forced the set to a tie-break, which reminded the number four seed that the Frenchman would not take a back seat in the clash.
Despite a brief scare, Murray was able to take the tie-break convincingly by seven games to one.
The second set was a disappointing affair for the Scotsman, who was inferior to Gasquet as the number 16 seed controlled the clay court with precise forehand shots and strong serves to draw level in Italy.
During the second-set struggle, Murray made a complaint to the umpire about shadows on the court - partly blaming poor visibility for his slump.
Gasquet continued to frustrate the Scotsman by controlling the court and preventing Murray from claiming any dominance on the clash, which eventually resulted in the Brit's exit from the tournament.
Danielle Joynson
