SHANGHAI – New Wimbledon champion Rafael Nadal, world number one Roger Federer and rising Novak Djokovic have qualified for the season-ending Masters Cup four months before it takes place.

The men’s tennis body ATP announced on Wednesday that the illustrious trio has garnered enough points to be assured of a berth at the eight-player finale in Shanghai set for 10-16 November.

"I have never managed to win it, so I am really looking forward for this year’s event and as always I’ll try my best knowing it won’t be easy," said the Spanish ace Nadal.

Nadal leads the 2008 points race from Federer, whom he beat in an epic five-set Wimbledon final on Sunday.

The Swiss Federer is a four-time Masters Cup champion. Depending on how the season progresses, his number one ranking could be under threat in Shanghai.

Djokovic, the Australian Open champion from Serbia, will be competing in his second Masters Cup and is expected to do better than in a winless group stage campaign in 2007.

The seven best players from the 2008 points race qualify for Shanghai, with the eighth slot reserved for a Grand Slam champion who is inside the top 20. If all Grand Slam winners are in the top seven the eighth best player of the year completes the field.

Players currently ranked fourth to eighth are Nikolay Davydenko of Russia, Spain’s David Ferrer, Andy Roddick of the US, Nicolas Almagro of Spain and Briton Andy Murray.

[dpa / Expatica]