Tennis: Roger Federer's path to a fifth Masters Cup title has been smoothed by the absence of Rafael Nadal but he will have to face down a band of talented young guns to take the lion's share of the €3 million purse next week.
The 27-year-old has closed out dominant seasons by reigning supreme in Shanghai for the last two years, but his star has waned in 2008 and he withdrew from last week's Paris Masters with a back injury.
Still, with world number one Nadal sidelined by tendonitis of the knee, few would bet against the Swiss bidding farewell to the Qi Zhong arena by winning a fifth title in six years.
Federer is in the toughest of the two groups and will face in-form Andy Murray, Andy Roddick and French world number nine Gilles Simon, Nadal's replacement in the eight-man field.
Murray, the world number four, arrives in Shanghai on a high after winning titles at the Madrid Masters and in St Petersburg and reaching the Paris Masters quarter-finals in successive events.
"Since Wimbledon I've played the best tennis of my life, and hopefully I can keep it going," said the 21-year-old.
Federer and Murray have to wait until Monday to get their first taste of the action with the group headed by Serbian Novak Djokovic in the spotlight on the opening day.