Tennis: Norman crashes out of Masters Series event in Rome

Magnus Norman was knocked out of the Masters Series Italian Open in the first round, a year after collecting his biggest career tournament win on the same Foro Italico courts.

The 24-year-old Swede lost 6-4 6-3 to 180th-ranked Vincenzo Santopadre of Italy.

Norman, who reached last year's French Open finals, looked slow and unsteady on the damp clay, racking up 30 unforced errors following a two-hour rain delay.

Having struggled in recent months, Norman was asked if he was suffering physical or technical problems. "No," he said flatly, "It's more in my head."

"This is one of the worst moments of my career," the number five seed added.

"It's a self-confidence thing. It's tough, I don't know how to come out of it."

Racking up 30 unforced errors, Norman was broken in the final game, shanking an easy backhand on match point.

Santopadre, a wild card entry, fired 24 winners in front of the sparse but friendly Foro Italico crowd.

After watching the final shot go wide, the left-handed Italian jumped over the net to shake Norman's hand.