Juan Carlos Ferrero ended his singles career with a 7-5 6-3 defeat to Nicolas Almagro in Valencia

Juan Carlos Ferrero brought the curtain down on his singles career with a 7-5 6-3 defeat to fellow Spaniard and close friend Nicolas Almagro in the first round of the Valencia Open.

The 32-year-old former world No 1, who won the French Open in 2003, announced last month he would retire after playing his home event.
However there was to be no fairytale ending as he failed to cope with the speed and power of sixth seed Almagro.
Almagro appeared to be suffering from a right shoulder problem late in the second set but shrugged off the injury and sealed victory on his first match point when the unseeded Ferrero netted a return.
"It's been a long time since I enjoyed myself so much on a tennis court," said a tearful Ferrero who will join up with David Ferrer in the doubles on Wednesday.
"I simply want to thank everyone for all their support, not just this year but throughout all the years I have played here.
"It's always been a very special tournament for me and this year even more so."