Murray Hones Skills for Roland Garros with Barcelona Open

Andy Murray will play next week's Barcelona Open as he bids to reach full match fitness ahead of next month's French Open.

Murray's third-round defeat to Spaniard Albert Ramos-Vinolas at the Monte Carlo Masters was only his fourth match in two months after an elbow injury ruled him out of the Miami Open and the following Davis Cup game between Great Britain and France.

His only tournament win this year came at the Dubai Championship in March after he lost to Novak Djokovic in the Qatar Open final following an early exit at the Australian Open to unheralded Mischa Zverev.

He also exited Indian Wells with defeat to world No 129 Vasek Pospisil, which was his first loss to a player outside the top 100 in six years.

On Thursday Murray said that he was doubtful about his participation in Barcelona as he was considering focusing on his fitness, saying: "I'll speak to my team a little bit about that. I need to decide now whether I go and try to get matches or whether I try to get myself in better shape physically, put as much work in as I can."

The Briton had been scheduled to play just Madrid and Rome ahead of the French Open at Roland Garros at the end of May.

He will be joined in Spain by home favourite Rafael Nadal, who will be going for a record 10th Barcelona title, with Kei Nishikori also taking part in the ATP 500 clay-court tournament.