AFP
 
Shanghai, Nov 6: Swiss world number two Roger Federer will take on Briton Andy Murray in the early stages of the season-ending ATP Masters Cup after they were drawn in the same group on Wednesday.

Defending champion Federer and Murray, the tour's form player who has risen to a career-best fourth in the world rankings, were selected in Red Group alongside American Andy Roddick and Frenchman Gilles Simon.

"It's the first time I've been to Shanghai, I've heard from all the players that it's an unbelievable tournament, a great atmosphere," Murray said ahead of the draw.

"To be among the top eight is a great feeling and the hospitality has been great. I have even got my name on my pillow case (at the hotel) and I am not used to that."

In the Gold Group are Serbian world number three Novak Djokovic, Russian Nikolay Davydenko, Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Argentina's Juan Martin del Potro.

The exact schedule of the round-robin tournament, which begins on Sunday and runs until November 16, will not be determined until later in the week.

However Federer's first match will be against Simon, the world number nine who was called up after top-ranked Rafael Nadal of Spain pulled out citing fatigue and knee tendinitis. Murray will take on sixth-ranked Roddick.

Murray has beaten Federer twice this year for a 3-2 career record, although the former world number one easily beat the Briton in the US Open Grand Slam final.

Djokovic will start against world number eight del Potro and fifth-ranked Davydenko will line up against Tsonga, who rose to seven in the world and clinched his Shanghai spot with his weekend victory in the Paris Masters.

All four from each group will play each other in the initial round-robin stage, with the top two advancing to the semi-finals.

Tournament director Brad Drewett said all the players were evenly matched, pointing out that Murray and Simon had both beaten Nadal, Federer and Djokovic this year.

"One of the great things about this event is the fact the best players are playing each other and they're all capable of, on the day, beating each other," Drewett said.

Red Group: Roger Federer (SUI), Andy Murray (GBR), Andy Roddick (USA), Gilles Simon (FRA)

Gold Group: Novak Djokovic (SRB), Nikolay Davydenko (RUS), Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA), Juan Martin del Potro (ARG).