Defending champion Stanislas Wawrinka has been thrashed by Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov in a 6-1 6-2 rout on Center Court in Round 3 of the Monte Carlo Masters in Rome.

This ugly defeat comes as a shocker after Wawrinka who beat fellow Swiss Roger Federer in last year’s final offered almost no resistance whatsoever.

As the hard courts have been swapped for clay, some of the men on the ATP Tour would have been hoping to exchange poor form for good form. Wawrinka was one of those players in need of a strong performance in Monte Carlo this week. He already found himself in ninth position in the rankings after three consecutive outings in which he has failed to perform to his high standards. This adds to the tally.

Dimitrov will face the winner of the following match on court between Federer and French showman Gael Monfils in the quarter-finals.

Later on Thursday eight-rimes Monte Carlo champion Rafa Nadal takes on American John Isner and world number one Novak Djokovic is up against unseeded Austrian Andreas Haider-Maurer.

Split Stan Wawrinka’s year so far in half and you’ll have three good tournaments and four bad. He sure was hoping that Monte-Carlo wasn’t the ugly one.

With a wide open draw, the ATP event which serves as a prequel to Roland Garros offers wide ranging possibilities of singles clashes.