Andy Murray 'would still like to play' at French Open despite first round Italian Open exit to Fabio Fognini

Published 11/05/2023 at 11:52 GMT

Andy Murray is still eager to compete at Roland Garros for the second time in six years, but says he will make a final decision with his team in "the next few days". Murray suffered a first-round exit to Fabio Fognini at the Italian Open; his third in a row at ATP 1000 events on clay. However, he clinched his first title since 2019 at the Aix-en-Provence Challenger recently.

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Andy Murray says he "would still like to play" at the French Open after losing to Fabio Fognini in the opening round of the Italian Open, but will decide in the next few days.

The 35-year-old lost 4-6 6-4 4-6 to the home favourite in a gruelling contest that lasted almost three hours.

It marked a third consecutive ATP 1000 first-round defeat for Murray on clay, after suffering the same fate in Monte Carlo and Madrid.

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Murray headed to the Eternal City on a high after beating Tommy Paul in the final of the Aix-en-Provence Challenger to clinch his first title since 2019.

But another early exit at a big event has left the former world No. 1 considering whether to feature at Roland Garros for just the second time in six years later this month.

"I'd still like to play but we did agree that we'd talk and make a decision as a team after Rome," Murray said.

“That is what I wanted, to see how my game felt, how I was playing and physically how I was doing in some of the longer matches before making a definitive call on it. We'll have those discussions in the next few days.”

Murray was edged out by Fognini in an entertaining battle on the opening day of men’s main draw action in Rome, with the Italian producing a dazzling array of winners to help him to victory.

“It was a pretty patchy match," said Murray.

"There was some good stuff in there but also some pretty average stuff. He played very well in the third set. My level was OK in the third, but he played really well in the third.”