Andy Murray out of Monte-Carlo Masters after shock three-set third round defeat to Albert Ramos-Vinolas

The world number one started well but eventually fell 2-6 6-2 7-5 to the Spaniard in only his second competitive match in five weeks

Andy Murray is out of the tournament at the third round stage (Getty)

Andy Murray is out of the Monte-Carlo Masters after a three-set defeat to Spain's Albert Ramos-Vinolas in the third round.

The world number one, playing in only his second consecutive match in five weeks after an elbow injury, started well but eventually fell 2-6 6-2 7-5.

It is a damaging defeat for the Scot as he attempts to play himself into form ahead of the French Open in June.

The 29-year-old started his second-round match against Gilles Muller on Wednesday with three double faults in the first four points of the match and it did not get much better in his match-up against the clay-specialist.

Murray was broken seven times during a see-saw encounter with the Spaniard and was leading 4-0 in the final set before he suffered a spectacular collapse.

Ramos-Vinolas rallied back to take the next four games to level the decider and despite the Scot taking the ninth to go 5-4 up, the 15th seed closed out the match with three successive games to seal an unlikely victory.

"I'm disappointed to lose from the position that I was in," said Murray, last year's French Open runner-up. "Being four-love up in the third, I haven't lost many matches like that in my career."