Classic start in Shanghai

In that match Nalbandian stunned the world of tennis by coming from two sets down to clinch a five-set victory, but that was against a Federer who was struggling with injury.

This season it has been Nalbandian who has suffered from a string of injury problems, the latest of which was the stomach problem which kept him out of the Paris Masters.

He has also been inconsistent on court, particularly in the second-half of the season, and was hammered by Federer at the recent Madrid Masters.

Federer on the other hand, comes into the tournament in great form, with his cruise through the Madrid Masters field coming on the back of his US Open victory.

He also comes to Shanghai in great shape and in confident mood ahead of the start of the tournament.

"Fitness-wise I am perfect," he said when he arrived in China last week.

"There are no concerns over ankles, knees, and so on after such a demanding season, I just can't wait to hit the first ball on the court."

Federer and Nalbandian are in the Red Group with Ivan Ljubicic and Andy Roddick who meet in the day's second game.

Roddick, a two time semi-finalist in this competition, will be hoping to replicate the form that saw him make it all the way to the US Open final and win the Cincinnati Masters during the American hard court season.

Ivan Ljubicic meanwhile, bounced back from his poor American hard court season, to win in Vienna recently - a tournament where Roddick only made it to the semi-finals - and the powerful Croat will be looking to do better in this year's Masters Cup after being knocked out in the group stage last year.

The four players in the other group, Rafael Nadal, Nikolay Davydenko, Tommy Robredo, and James Blake, all start their campaigns on Monday.