CHENNAI, Dec 31: World number two Rafael Nadal starts his 2007 campaign at the ATP Chennai Open from Monday against the strongest field ever assembled for India's leading tennis event.

The Spaniard's main challenger at the US$416,000 season opener will be world number eight David Nalbandian who led Argentina into the Davis Cup final against eventual winners Russia earlier this month.

Veteran Carlos Moya, a two-time champion here, Asian star Paradorn Srichaphan of Thailand and world No 37 Xavier Malisse of Belgium will lend further glitter to an event that features 18 top-100 players.

Three Frenchmen – the 40th-ranked Julien Benneteau, Fabrice Santoro and Nicolas Mahut – are also in the race along with newly-crowned Asian Games champion Danai Udomchoke of Thailand.

“This is going to be a tough week, a tough start to the season,” said 20-year-old Nadal, who faces former world number five Rainer Schuettler of Germany in the first round.

“My goal for the year is to finish among the top eight and qualify for the Masters Cup. With so many good players around it may not be easy to be number two again.

“But I will be happy if I can finish among the top eight.”

Nadal, who won four of his six matches against Roger Federer in 2006, said it was difficult, but not impossible to defeat the undisputed world champion on a regular basis.

“I don't know if it is impossible to beat him but it is certainly very difficult because Roger is such a good all-round player,” he said.

“I have worked on my serves and aggressive play in the last few months. Probably that is the key to beating Roger.”

Nadal missed the 2006 Australian Open with a foot injury before winning five of his first eight tournaments including a second successive French Open title at the Roland Garros.

But the fiesty left-hander failed to win another title in his last eight tournaments of the season.

Nalbandian, who turns 25 on Monday, hopes to recapture the form that made him world No. 3 in March and earned him the year-ending Masters title in 2005.—AFP