Oct 12, 2008, 9:37 GMT
Madrid - 2003 Madrid Masters champion Juan Carlos Ferrero has been snubbed for a wild card for this week's event after a dispute with organisers over entries into the field.
As a former holder, the Spaniard was in with a chance, but the one-time Roland Garros champion was overlooked after an outburst when he was not picked as a first-choice wild card by organizers.
Two of three entries went to surging Russian Marat Safin and Italian Fabio Fognini.
That was enough to set Ferrero off, as he slammed tournament director Manolo Santana for allowing Safin's manager - and Madrid promoter - Ion Tiriac to get his man's name into the draw.
But luck went against Ferrero after another former French Open champion from Spain, Carlos Moya, handed back his wild card after receiving direct entry after winning a newspaper reader vote.
Had Ferrero stayed calm, hints are that he might have been given the suddenly-available free entry into the field. Instead it went to last week's Stockholm quarter-finalist Albert Montanes of Spain.
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