Intro:

Defending champion Stanislas Wawrinka and the man he beat in last year's final, Roger Federer, both crashed out of the Monte Carlo Masters in Monaco on Thursday (16th April).

Script:

Defending champion Stanislas Wawrinka was in third round action at the Monte Carlo Masters in Monaco, but it was a day to forget for the Swiss player.

The number seven seed got off to a sluggish start and never recovered.

His opponent, Grigor Dimitrov, raced to a 4-0 lead in the first set and went on to take it 6-1.

The 23 year-old Bulgarin broke the former Australian Open champion's serve again in the fourth game of the second set to lead 3-1.

Wawrinka had three break points in the sixth game, but failed to convert any of them and after just 55 minutes on court Dimitrov closed out a 6-1, 6-2 win.

Number four seed Milos Raonic, playing his first tournament on clay for 10 months, was taken the distance by Spain's Tommy Robredo, but came through 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 in an hour and 14 minutes.

The Canadian booked a place in the quarter-finals for a second straight year and will face sixth seed Tomas Berdych.

Swiss fans then suffered further agony when Roger Federer also crashed out of the tournament, at the hands of Frenchman Gael Monfils.

It was Federer's first tournament in four weeks and it showed in his error-count, but Monfils was at the top of his game and deserved his victory.

Monfils completed a 6-4, 7-6 win in an hour and 54 minutes.