Tennis Masters Cup favorite Roger Federer of Switzerland arrived in Shanghai on Monday six days ahead of the official start of the 2006 Tennis Masters Cup on Sunday.

 

Federer, who is seeking his third Masters Cup title in four years and a personal-best 12th title of the season, will be joined by Rafael Nadal, Andy Roddick, Nikolay Davydanko, Ivan Ljubicic, David Nalbandian, Tommy Robredo and James Blake in the season-ending tournament.

 

Federer, the ATP 2006 Race leader, made his Tennis Masters Cup debut in Shanghai in 2002 and he was the first player to qualify for the circuit finale in 2006.

 

He has a remarkable Tennis Masters Cup record. On debut in 2002he won all three matches in his round-robin group and then lost a classic semifinal to eventual champion Lleyton Hewitt 7-5, 5-7, 7-5.

 

The Swiss world number one then went on to win back-to-back Masters Cup crowns in Houston in 2003 and 2004 without losing a match.

 

Last year Federer was runner-up to Argentine David Nalbandian 6-7(4), 6-7(11), 6-2, 6-1, 7-6(3) over four hours and 33 minutes at the year-end event for an overall match record of 17-2.

 

(Xinhua News Agency November 7, 2006)