Murray was playing only his second match since returning from a five-week layoff after an elbow injury.
"I'm disappointed to lose from the position that I was in".
"I have only been really serving at my normal pace the last couple of days as I was trying to build it up slowly to time it right for the beginning of the tournament and the elbow has been feeling better every day, so I am positive about that". In five previous matches between the two, Djokovic has won all of them, while dropping just one set in all of those contests.
The Spanish claycourt specialist won four games in a row, before Murray applied some late pressure, and was implacable as he won the next two with back-to-back breaks and served for the match.
Clay has been very profitable for the Scot over the last two years having previously been by far his weakest surface.
Nadal had to save a break point at 1-2 and, after the Spaniard moved ahead, Edmund played his most spectacular game of the match to make it 3-3.
"In Scotland you'd have great views but the weather's so bad, so it's not as enjoyable", he said.
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Living up to his top-seed ranking, Murray took the opening set despite struggling to hold on to his serve, breaking his opponent four times. He whacked his racket against his shoe in frustration and then smashed it on the ground, buckling it in half.
With Cuevas on serve again at 5-6, Pouille clinched victory on his second match point when the former hit another backhand long. He set up a match point with an excellent backhand cross-court victor as he retrieved a shot deep into the court, and clinched victory on his first opportunity when Muller hit a forehand wide. And a week ago Murray wasn't even sure if he was going to play Monte Carlo.
World No.1 Andy Murray was knocked out on Thursday from the Monte-Carlo Masters, after suffering a shock defeat against Spain's Albert Ramos-Vinolas in the men's singles pre-quarterfinals.
Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal will both be in action later on Thursday, in what's now a far more loaded side of the draw.
Edmund kept his nose in front and then pounced when Nadal served to stay in the set for a second time.
Three-time Grand Slam victor Wawrinka won Monte Carlo three years ago over compatriot and friend Roger Federer. The 12-time Grand Slam champion was clearly not at his best and far too wasteful.
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