Grigor Dimitrov has stunned Monte Carlo Masters defending champion Stan Wawrinka, beating the Swiss seventh seed 6-1 6-2 in the third round.

Thursday’s exit of 2014 Australian Open champion Wawrinka came a year after he won his first and only Masters 1000 title in Monaco, accounting for compatriot Roger Federer in the final.

The Swiss was well off his game, finishing in 54 minutes with 41 unforced errors and just four winners against ninth seed Dimitrov.

World No.9 Wawrinka is in danger of dropping out of the top 10 in the rankings.

Dimitrov capitalised on Stan Wawrinka’s awful display to rout the Swiss and reach the quarter-finals.

Wawrinka made a sluggish start and never found the right balance. He also failed to seize his chances, failing to convert four break points in the sixth game of the second set.

The seventh seed was hoping to advance deeper at the claycourt Masters tournament following a series of disappointing results on hardcourt.

But he could not follow up his solid opening-round showing, hitting 13 unforced errors as Dimitrov raced to a 4-0 lead.

The Bulgarian player fended off Wawrinka’s assault in the sixth game and broke for 3-1 in the second set after Wawrinka shanked three forehands.