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Federer loses to Swiss compatriot Wawrinka

  • Story Highlights
  • Roger Federer crashes out in third round of the clay-court Monte Carlo event
  • Second seed Federer loses in straight sets to compatriot Stanislas Wawrinka
  • Third seed Novak Djokovic drops second set before beating Alberto Montanes
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(CNN) -- Roger Federer has crashed out in the third round of the clay-court Monte Carlo Masters on Thursday, losing in straight sets to Swiss compatriot and good friend Stanislas Wawrinka.

Federer (right) congratulates Wawrinka after his fellow-Swiss dumped him out of the Monte Carlo Masters.

Federer (right) congratulates Wawrinka after his fellow-Swiss dumped him out of the Monte Carlo Masters.

Second seed Federer, who is still without a title in 2009, looked short of form and confidence as he lost 6-4 7-5 to his 13th-seeded opponent.

Federer, who has lost the last three Monte Carlo finals to Rafael Nadal, did not initially enter the tournament after getting married at the weekend.

But he decided to accept a late wild card to play in the hope of getting some much-needed clay-court practice in before next month's French Open.

Despite his disappointment, Federer insisted he was happy for Wawrinka, who broke into the top 10 last season and will be optimistic of another good spell on his favorite surface.

"I'm happy for him that he's progressed so much over the last couple years," Federer told reporters. "He's finally making a push, getting close to top players and beating top players like myself.

"It is the beginning of the clay-court season and he's already playing really well. That's stuff he couldn't really do three seasons ago because he got injured or he had tough draws or he played one horrible match which took away his confidence."

Third seed Novak Djokovic did go through, although the Serb was far from his best in seeing off Alberto Montanes of Spain 6-1 6-7 6-0.

On a day interrupted by heavy rain and showers, Spain's Fernando Verdasco, seeded seven, crushed compatriot and 10th seed David Ferrer 6-2 6-1 while German Andreas Beck beat Argentine Juan Monaco 3-6 6-2 7-5 and will now face Wawrinka.

Meanwhile, a heavy rainstorm interrupted fourth seed Andy Murray's third round match against Italian qualifier Fabio Fognini.

Murray rallied from 5-0 down to win the opening set on a tie-break and he led 1-0, 40-40, with Fognini serving before rain and hail came down again.

World number one Rafael Nadal and qualifier Nicolas Lapentti managed only one game of their third-round match before the rain came, with the Ecuadorian holding his serve.

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