Andy Murray crashes out of Italian Open in Rome in the first round to Fabio Fognini in three sets

Andy Murray has been knocked out of the Italian Open in the first round after losing 6-4 4-6 6-4 to home favourite Fabio Fognini.

The 35-year-old pushed Fognini all the way, but the Italian was able to regain his composure in the third set to take a 5-4 lead in the head-to-head record against his familiar foe.

Fognini, who was given a wild card to play in Rome, will play Miomir Kecmanovic in the second round.

For Murray, it was his first loss in a deciding set this season after nine previous wins. His attention will now turn to the French Open which gets underway on May 28.

Murray had to fight hard to hold his opening service game, staving off five break points from Fognini. But in the third game Fognini did secure a break to move into a 2-1 lead.

Fognini looked to be growing in confidence on his favoured surface. Murray was left frustrated when he squandered three break points before the Italian held to move into a 4-2 lead after 48 minutes of high quality tennis.

Murray was unhappy with umpire Mohamed Lahyani over a ball mark which saw him go 5-3 down. Murray said repeatedly “you know you’ve got that wrong”, insisting his shot caught the line, but Hawk-Eye afterwards showed the umpire was correct and it had gone out.

Murray did his best to stay in the set, but he could not find the break back he needed and Fognini took the first set with a confident love hold.

Murray changed tactic at the start of the second set, hitting very early returns on Fognini’s second serve. He had seven break points on Fognini’s opening service game and he finally converted to go 2-0 up when the Italian double faulted.

The intensity appeared to drop from Fognini and Murray quickly secured a double break before another unforced error at a critical moment from the former world No. 9 saw Murray take a commanding 5-1 lead.

But then the Fognini fightback began. Even though he appeared to be struggling physically, he pulled back the double break with three games in a row.

And in another bizarre turn of events, Murray quickly snatched three set points on the Fognini serve. Murray converted the third one when Fognini struck a backhand into the net. Fognini made 23 unforced errors compared to Murray’s eight in the set.

Murray powered a forehand into the tramlines to give away a break in the opening game of the final set before Fognini began to play his very best tennis in the match.

With Murray visibly flagging, Fognini continued to play with power and precision, remaining clinical on his serve. Fittingly, he sealed his place in the second round with an ace.

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