Murray pulls out of Barcelona with elbow injury

World number four Andy Murray pulled out of the Barcelona Open on Tuesday due to an elbow injury.

"Under advice from medical experts I have had to withdraw from the Barcelona tournament due to a right elbow injury," the Briton, seeded second for the clay event in the Catalan capital, said on his website.

"I'm going to take 4-5 days rest and begin practising next week," he added, suggesting he should be fit for the Madrid Masters at the start of next month.

The withdrawal of Murray, who reached the semi-finals at last week's Monte Carlo Masters where he lost to Spanish world number one and eventual winner Rafa Nadal, follows that of fifth seed Tomas Berdych earlier on Tuesday.

The Czech has gastroenteritis and will be replaced in the draw by Rui Machado of Portugal, according to the tournament website.