Andy Murray is out of the French Open after losing to Nicolas Almagro in four sets at Roland Garros. The British No 1 struggled to cope with the Spanish clay court specialist and although he levelled the match by winning a second set tie-break, he eventually lost 6-3, 6-7 (3-7), 6-3, 7-5.

Murray made the worst possible start, losing his first service game against the world No 20. Almagro, with a series of savage forehands, was demonstrating why he is a rising star on clay and served out to take the first set when Murray netted a tame forehand.

Murray, the tenth seed, was beginning to counter Almagro's heavy hitting with some fine play of his own and it took two consecutive aces and some desperate shot-making from the Spaniard to save three break points in the fourth game of the second set.

Almagro, who has won clay-court titles in Brazil and Mexico this year beating Carlos Moya and David Nalbandian in the finals, kept his cool to stay in the set which went to eventually went to a tie-break. Two timely aces saw Murray take control and a forehand cross court winner wrapped up the tie-break 7-3 for Murray to win the set 7-6 and square the match.

Murray took the initiative in the third set when he broke Almagro in the third game. The Spaniard broke back in the sixth game and suddenly the momentum swung the Almagro's way and he broke serve again in the eighth game, courtesy of a couple of tame Murray volleys. Almagro served out the set 6-3 to take a grip on the match that he never looked like surrendering.

Murray lost his service in the first game of the fourth set, allowing his opponent to dictate. The Scot battled back from love-40 in the seventh game with two stupendous volley winners to give himself a chance. But the big serves of Almagro were earning him easy points while Murray was continually struggling on his own delivery. It looked all over when Almagro served for the match in the tenth game but somehow Murray contrived to break back letting out a shout of 'Come on'.

The British No 1 promptly dropped his next service game when he dumped another forehand into the net and this time Almagro made no mistake wrapping up a deserved victory.