Andy Murray withdraws from Italian Open, cites fatigue
Andy Murray withdrew from the Italian Open on Thursday before his third-round match against Belgian player David Goffin.
Murray cited fatigue for his withdrawal, saying he was "extremely flat" following his pre-match warmup.
Murray has been on a roll lately on clay, winning his first ever clay title at the Munich Open two weeks ago, and defeating Rafael Nadal in the Madrid Open final on Sunday for his first Masters trophy on the surface.
In his opening match at the Italian Open, he beat Jeremy Chardy 6-4, 6-3 moving his record to 10-0 on clay this season.
Murray, the world’s third-ranked player, apologized for leaving the tournament.
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"I always feel bad after making decisions like this but my body is extremely tired and fatigued right now having played 10 matches in the last 12 days," Murray said on Twitter. "I wanted to try to compete in the event but after warming up today I didn't feel able to compete. I hope next year I can comeback to Rome and do better."
Murray says he wanted the extra rest to prepare for the French Open, which starts May 24.
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