Murray retires in Rome

It was far from a happy 26th birthday for Andy Murray as he retired from his second-round match against Marcel Granollers at the Internazionali d'Italia in Rome.

The Scot was treated for what appeared to be a left hip problem early in the second set having lost the first and a quick exit seemed certain.

But he battled back from 4-1 down to level the match on a tie-break only to then retire mid-match for only the second time in his career.

Murray had beaten Granollers in both their previous meetings and the world number 37 has shown no form to speak of this year but the Spaniard produced a consistent display of attacking tennis to win the first set 6-3 with a single break of serve in the sixth game.

Murray fought hard in a lengthy game at the start of the second set, saving five break points, but Granollers seemed to have an answer for everything the British number one produced and took his sixth chance.

Murray hit straight back only for Granollers to make it three breaks in a row, and at the change of ends the third seed was flat on his back receiving treatment.

The world number two often grasps at his left hip but it seemed to be giving him more trouble than usual and the writing looked on the wall when he meekly dropped his serve again.

Granollers had two points for a 5-1 lead but Murray roused himself to retrieve one break and then remarkably made it three games in a row to level.

With the wind whipping up the clay, Granollers broke again to serve for the match but back came Murray, and he clinched the set 7-5 on the tie-break when his opponent pushed a forehand long.

Murray would have gone into the decider as the favourite but he took the crowd and his opponent by surprise by shaking hands, packing away his racquets and walking off court. There will now be concerns over Murray's French Open campaign, with the second grand slam of the year beginning a week on Sunday in Paris.