Federer, Nadal ready

World No. 1 Federer was hampered by injury when he lost the final to Argentine David Nalbandian last year but will get a chance to avenge that defeat in the opening match of the $3.7 million (2.9 million euros) tournament at the Qi Zhong stadium on Sunday.

"Fitness-wise, I am perfect," the Swiss, who pulled out of the Paris Masters last month citing fatigue, told local media on his arrival in Shanghai this 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, who watched the similarly dominant golf number one Tiger Woods playing in Shanghai on Thursday, also takes on Croatia's Ivan Ljubicic and American Andy Roddick in the Red Group for the round robin stage of the tournament.

The Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon champion is aiming for a third Masters Cup title having won in Houston in 2003 and 2004.

World number two and French Open champion Nadal, who skipped the Paris Masters with an abdominal injury, plays his first Masters Cup match against American James Blake on Monday.

"I feel OK," he told the BBC this week. "I was practising very hard last month and I arrive in Shanghai with my best motivation.

"The season is not finished. I've got to play in Shanghai in one of the most important tournaments in the world so I'm going to try my best there," he added.

Nadal, who is in a Gold Group also featuring Tommy Robredo and Nikolay Davydenko, is looking to shake off a poor run of form during which he has failed to get past the quarter-finals at any event since losing the Wimbledon final to Federer.

Workaholic world number three Davydenko is the form player in the field and looked irresistible when he won the Paris Masters last weekend.

"I don't think I ever played anybody who played better than he did today," said Slovakian Dominik Hrbaty, the Russian's opponent in the final. "If he plays as well as he did here, he's going to give Federer a tough time."

Davydenko, who rose to number three in the world on the back of his fifth tournament victory, has already played 31 events this year but will be confident of getting into the semi-finals by finishing in the top two of his group.

Champion Nalbandian has played fewer than half that number of events and, having recovered from the stomach problem that ruled him out of the Paris Masters, should again be a strong contender.

Spain's Robredo and Blake will be making their Masters Cup debuts, while former world number one Roddick reached the last four at both his previous appearances.

The fitness of all eight players, and in particular Federer and Roddick, will be a relief to Shanghai organisers after the quality of last year's field was compromised by a series of withdrawals.