World number two Andy Murray admitted Wednesday that he could miss the French Open after a long-term back injury forced him to quit the Rome Masters. "I'd be very surprised if I was playing in Paris," a subdued Murray said after retiring from a second-round start at the Foro Italico, handing a 6-3, 6-7 (5/7) win to Spain's Marcel Granollers. Murray, who was celebrating his 26th birthday on Wednesday, said that pain in his lower left back, which has bothered him since late 2011, has been flaring recently, bringing on the Rome pullout.

Rome, May 15 (EFE).- Scotland's Andy Murray retired from his second-round match Wednesday at the Rome Masters after rallying to tie Spaniard Marcel Granollers at a set apiece. The world No. 2, who turned 26 on Wednesday, began suffering back problems in the second set and called for the trainer while trailing 3-6, 1-2. Murray proceeded to lose the next two games and was a point away from a 5-1 deficit before storming back and forcing a tiebreaker, which he won 7-5.

LONDON (Reuters) - Six-times Olympic champion Chris Hoy, who spearheaded a golden period of British track cycling dominance, announced his retirement on Thursday content that he had nothing left to prove after a long and stellar career. Britain's most successful Olympian, who won two golds at the 2012 London Games to add to three from Beijing four years earlier and his first in Athens in 2004, said the time was right to quit the saddle having exhausted "every last ounce of effort and energy".

US Open and Olympic champion Andy Murray on Thursday signed on as the first client of a new partnership between his management company and Indian doubles star Mahesh Bhupathi's GloboSport. The venture is aimed at helping Murray, ranked second in the world after last week's win at the Miami Masters, develop his off-court interests in Asia and the Middle East. Murray's commercial activities have been managed by Simon Fuller's XIX Entertainment since 2007, but there had been speculation the 25-year-old Scot may switch to a rival to help him further his business interests.