Wounded Andy Murray made an early exit at the ATP Rome Masters after retiring injured at the start of the third set against Spain's Marcel Granollers.
The world No 2 didn't have too much to celebrate on his 26th birthday as he struggled throughout the second round contest with an injury to his lower back.
And after winning the second set on a tie-break, he immediately called time before trudging off the court a disconsolate figure.
He grimaced with pain on a number of occasions throughout the contest and, although he fought valiantly, with the score at 6-3 6-7 (5-7) Granollers was awarded the win in one hour and 50 minutes.
It was a worrying sign for Murray in the last major warm-up event ahead of the French Open, which begins a week on Sunday in Paris.
The 37-ranked doubles specialist Granollers made the all-important break in the sixth game thanks to a love game before successfully holding to move within a game of winning the first set.
Murray, who was knocked out by Czech Tomas Berdych at last week's Madrid Open, struggled to cope with the damp and gusty conditions on the Campo Centrale.
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