Italy sealed a 3-2 victory over Great Britain in the World Group quarter-finals of the Davis Cup by BNP Paribas as Andy Murray and James Ward suffered three set defeats in Naples.
Murray, who was first up in the reverse singles for the Aegon GB Davis Cup Team, went down to Italy's Fabio Fognini 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 to take the tie into a decisive fifth rubber.
"He [Fognini] played some great stuff at important periods in the match and that was the main difference," Murray said after his match.
"When I had my main opportunities I was a little bit disappointed in myself, and when he had his he was exceptional, so credit to him."
In the deciding rubber Ward took on Andreas Seppi to keep hopes alive for GB, but after two hours and 17 minutes the Briton went down 6-4, 6-3, 6-4.
Italy go on to face Switzerland or Kazakhstan in the semi-finals, while Britain will return to World Group round one in 2015.
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