adminFORMER world number one Roger Federer was beaten 6-4 7-6(5) by local favourite Gael Monfils in the third round of the Monte Carlo Masters on a bad day for the Swiss which also saw Stanislas Wawrinka exit yesterday.
Defending champion Wawrinka put up only token resistance as his game fell apart in a 55-minute 6-1 6-2 rout at the hands of Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov on Centre Court.
Third seed Rafa Nadal, who ruled in Monte Carlo from 2005-12, overcame John Isner, but was given a fright.
The Spaniard had to save two set points in the opening set and then found himself pegged back before advancing to the last eight 7-6(6) 4-6 6-3.
Nadal broke decisively in the fourth game of the third set to set up a meeting with Spanish fifth seed David Ferrer or Frenchman Gilles Simon.
Dimitrov will face Monfils in the quarter-finals after the French showman, decked out in green and black stripes, saw off second seed Federer in a high-quality contest.
Federer, beaten by Wawrinka in last year’s final, moved 3-1 ahead courtesy of an early break but Monfils hit straight back and then outplayed the Swiss from the baseline to break again at 4-4 before clinching the opener.
The second set went with serve and Federer built a 5-3 lead in the tiebreak before losing four points in a row.
“It was not the best end to the match,” Federer told reporters. “I should have done better with the break up in the first. I think I did a good job to hang around the second set. I also had chances of my own.
“I never felt like things were really happening the way I wanted them to be going during the whole match.” —Reuters.
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