Defending champion Roger Federer will kick off his ATP World Tour Finals campaign against Janko Tipsarevic in the first match of Group B.
The second match will see Spaniard David Ferrer, fresh from winning the Paris Masters title, square off against Juan Martin Del Potro, Federer's conqueror in the Swiss Indoors a couple of weeks back.
Tipsarevic is only in the tournament after Rafael Nadal pulled out due to his ongoing knee injury, which has kept the former world number one out of tennis since Wimbledon. Federer admitted the tournament would not be the same without the Spaniard.
"Once a tournament starts, you do unfortunately forget what's happening around you," Federer said. "You do forget those things a little bit. Knowing that maybe the draw is potentially a little easier, there is no denying that because Rafa is a great champion and I'm sure that he is missed by a lot of the fans, which would have made this tournament maybe even more exciting, but then it gives opportunities to one or two more guys.
"It's obviously never the same when Rafa doesn't enter a tournament, but from time to time injuries just do happen, and we all wish him the best so he can return next year."
Federer, gracious as ever,acknowledged Novak Djokovic, who along with Andy Murray opened the tournament with wins, is the rightful world number one, after the Serbian deposed the Swiss when the ranking were announced on Monday.
"The real number one, we know who that is going to be, it's going to be Novak, so I think there should not be any debate around that," the Swiss great added. "Number one, you don't get there by chance. The rankings are something that show you how you've played over a 365-day period.
"It might change all over again at the Australian Open, there's no doubt about that, but right now, it's clear.
"This event is a bonus, obviously, for the top eight players to face off against each other, and try their very best and hopefully finish the season in good style."
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