Refreshed Federer ready

SHANGHAI: A refreshed Roger Federer returns to tennis after a month-long break confident he can get back to winning ways at the Shanghai Masters starting on Sunday. The Swiss great, who has slipped to No. 3 in the world rankings behind Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, last played in the semifinals at the U.S. Open, where he was beaten by the Serbian in five sets.

But after a period away from the glare of competition, the 29-year-old 16-time Grand Slam champion is eyeing a successful run in China's commercial capital.

“He (Nadal) is the best player in the world right now. He's won the last three Grand Slams so he completely deserves to be at world number one,” Federer said in Hong Kong at a sponsor's event during the week.

But he added: “I'm a strong believer that when I'm at my best I can beat anyone, I can even dominate anyone.

Four wins

Federer has been victorious four times in Shanghai when the eastern Chinese city served as host of the tour's year-end finals, lifting that trophy in 2003, 2004, 2006 and 2007.

Nadal and Djokovic have already started their Asian swings, with the Spaniard playing in Bangkok and Tokyo while Djokovic was defending his China Open title in Beijing.

The top eight seeds all have first-round byes, with Nadal set to start against either France's Gilles Simon or Switzerland's Stanislas Wawrinka. Djokovic will face either Chinese wildcard Zhang Ze or Croatia's Ivan Ljubicic, while Federer will be up against American John Isner — a semifinalist in Beijing — or a qualifier. — AFP