The draw for the best-of-five tie was revealed Thursday at the palatial surroundings of the NH Provincial Hotel.

The world No. 12 Ferrer is 6-3 lifetime against the 11th-ranked Nalbandian, but the Argentine has won two of their last three meetings. The two men have not met this year and have never faced off in Davis Cup play.

at Mar del Plata, Argentina

David Nalbandian (ARG) vs. David Ferrer (ESP), 11:00 AM ET Juan Martin del Potro (ARG) vs. Feliciano Lopez (ESP)

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The second-seeded Djokovic handled the fourth-seeded Davydenko 6-1, 7-5 on Day 8 at Shanghai's Qi Zhong Stadium.

The 21-year-old Djokovic prevailed in 1 hour, 42 minutes, as he broke Davydenko's serve four times on Sunday, compared to only one break for the 27- year-old loser.

Shanghai, China

Total Prize Money: $4,450,000

Novak Djokovic (2) leads Nikolay Davydenko (4), 6-1, 1-1

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Murray, coming off a dramatic and emotional three-set victory over Roger Federer on Friday, started on solid footing in both sets, but couldn't withstand a fierce Davydenko barrage late. The Russian downed Scotland's young star, 7-5, 6-2.

The round-robin format brought plenty of casualties to the courts in Shanghai, leaving Murray the only player unscathed entering Saturday's semifinals. Murray went 3-0 to win the Red Group, while Davydenko finished 2-1 in the Gold Group, with a loss earlier in the week to Serbian Novak Djokovic, who will be his opponent in Sunday's final.

Shanghai, China

Total Prize Money: $4,450,000

Gilles Simon (8) leads Novak Djokovic (2), 4-2 Andy Murray (3) vs. Nikolay Davydenko (4)

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Murray, who finished 3-0 in round-robin play to win the Red Group, was able to wrestle the match away from the four-time Masters Cup champion and will take on Russian Nikolay Davydenko in the semifinals on Saturday.

Also Friday, Frenchman Gilles Simon defeated Czech Radek Stepanek, 6-1, 6-4 to reach the semifinals.

Shanghai, China

Total Prize Money: $4,450,000

Roger Federer (1) vs. Andy Murray (3) Gilles Simon (8) leads Radek Stepanek, 6-1, 3-1

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Davydenko prevailed in 86 minutes in easy 6-3, 6-2 fashion against the 6- foot-5 del Potro, who made his Masters Cup debut this week. Davydenko went 2-1 in this week's Gold Group round-robin action and will now play in Saturday's semifinals, while del Potro settled for a 1-2 mark and is done for the week.

The Russian broke del Potro no less than four times, while allowing only one break against, and the big-hitting Argentine failed to record even one ace in defeat, compared to five for the winning Davydenko.

Shanghai, China

Total Prize Money: $4,450,000

Novak Djokovic (2) leads Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (6), 3-0 Nikolay Davydenko (4) vs. Juan Martin del Potro (7)

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The top-seeded and two-time defending Masters Cup champion Federer was scheduled to battle the fifth-seeded Roddick on Day 4 here, but Roddick (0-1) pulled out of this week's four-player Red Group due to an ankle injury. The big-serving American was replaced in the field by 27th-ranked alternate Radek Stepanek of the Czech Republic.

Roddick sustained the injury while practicing here on Tuesday.

Roddick, who lost his first round-robin match on Monday to Andy Murray, was hurt while practicing Tuesday.

"When I was doing a warm-up drill in practice I just went over on it," said Roddick. "We tried as much as we could to get it better." Roddick was set to face Roger Federer on Wednesday in round-robin action at the season-ending event. He was replaced in the draw by Radek Stepanek of the Czech Republic.

Shanghai, China

Total Prize Money: $4,450,000

Roger Federer (1) vs. Andy Roddick (5) Andy Murray (3) leads Gilles Simon (8), 3-0

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The best-of-five tie will he held on an indoor hardcourt at Estadio Islas Malvinas in Mar del Plata.

The Spaniards, who will compete without world No. 1 superstar Rafael Nadal, will feature David Ferrer, Fernando Verdasco, Feliciano Lopez and Marcel Granollers, who takes Nadal's spot on the squad. The Wimbledon, French Open and Olympic champion Nadal pulled out this week, citing a knee injury.

The second-seeded Djokovic reached the semifinals here by outlasting fourth- seeded Russian Nikolay Davydenko 7-6 (7-3), 0-6, 7-5 on Day 3 on the indoor hardcourt at Qi Zhong Stadium.

Djokovic topped Davydenko in 2 hours, 18 minutes by breaking the Russian on four occasions and firing eight aces. The Russian could manage only two breaks in defeat.

Shanghai, China

Total Prize Money: $4,450,000

Novak Djokovic (2) vs. Nikolay Davydenko (4) Juan Martin del Potro (7) leads Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (6), 2-1

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The injury forced the world's top-ranked player to pull out of the Paris Masters a few weeks ago and also caused him to skip this week's season-ending Tennis Masters Cup in Shanghai.

"After a very long and positive year, it is terrible to not be able to participate at two big goals of the year, Shanghai and the Davis Cup final," Nadal said Monday.

Frenchman Gilles Simon pulled off a big upset with a 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 triumph over the top-seeded, former world No. 1 Federer, who is now 0-2 lifetime against Simon, with the other setback coming at a Masters Series event in Toronto back in July.

Simon pulled off the stunner in 2 hours, 7 minutes with the help of seven aces. He also broke Federer's serve on three occasions, compared to only two breaks for the mighty Swiss.

Shanghai, China

Total Prize Money: $4,450,000

Gilles Simon (8) leads Roger Federer (1), 2-1 Andy Murray (3) vs. Andy Roddick (5)

Notes

fending champion.

The second-seeded Djokovic earned a 7-5, 6-3 victory over Argentina's Juan Martin del Potro in the first of the Gold Group round-robin matches, before the fourth-seeded Davydenko rallied for a 6-7 (6-8), 6-4, 7-6 (7-0) triumph over France's Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the second.

Djokovic won a Masters Cup match for the first time, as he lost all three of his round-robin matches last year in his initial appearance at the lucrative season-ending event.

Shanghai, China

Total Prize Money: $4,450,000

Novak Djokovic (2) leads Juan Martin del Potro (7), 2-1 Nikolay Davydenko (4) vs. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (6)

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fending champion.

The first match of the week will pit second-seeded Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic of Serbia against seventh-seeded Argentine Juan Martin del Potro, while the second bout on Day 1 will see fourth-seeded Russian Nikolay Davydenko take on sixth-seeded Aussie Open runner-up Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France. Tsonga was last week's surprise titlist at the Paris Masters, a title that enabled him to reach his first-ever Masters Cup. Del Potro will also make his Masters Cup debut.

Swiss great Roger Federer is a four-time overall and the two-time defending Masters Cup champion. He beat Spaniard David Ferrer in last year's finale here in Shanghai.

The U.S. Open champ Federer will play in the round-robin Red Group that also includes U.S. Open runner-up Andy Murray, Andy Roddick and Masters Cup rookie Gilles Simon. The world No. 2 Federer became the top seed for next week when top-ranked Rafael Nadal announced his withdrawal from the lucrative event, citing fatigue and a knee injury, earlier this week. Simon joined the exclusive eight-player field when the Wimbledon, French Open and Olympic champion Nadal pulled out. Nadal will still finish this season as the year-end No. 1.

The 13-time major champion Federer, who has won the Masters Cup four times, beat David Ferrer in last year's final.

At the beginning of this decade, Safin looked like a slam dunk (or at least an overhead smash) to win perhaps a half dozen major titles. He roared to a U.S. Open championship in 2000, including a complete dismantling of American tennis hero Pete Sampras in the finale in Flushing. And as a mere 20-year-old at the time, "experts" just assumed that big win would be the first of many for the strapping Russian.

I guess we were wrong.

"I have decided not to compete on the Masters Cup in Shanghai," the Spaniard said in a written statement. "This is one of the most difficult decisions in my career due to the importance of the event and above all, due to the fact of not making possible my will to be with the fans in China and the tournament organizers that always treated me in such special way." The five-time major champion retired during his quarterfinal match against Russian Nikolay Davydenko at last week's Paris Masters, citing a knee injury.

The 22-year-old Nadal is the reigning Wimbledon, French Open and Olympic champion.