AFP, Basel :
Home hero Roger Federer and ailing Rafael Nadal will be working to completely different agendas when the Swiss Indoors begins on Monday.
The event, which Basel-born Federer has won five times, marks the penultimate week of the points race to the World Tour Finals in London, beginning in just over three weeks.
The 33-year-old Federer is among those already qualified, along with Novak Djokovic, Nadal, Australian Open winner Stan Wawrinka and US Open champion Marin Cilic.
Federer, who has played the last eight finals at the St Jakobshalle — he stands 37-3 at home — looks to close in on the year-end number one ranking held by Djokovic.
Nadal, meanwhile, will be desperately seeking some reassurance.The nine-time French Open winner has not played in Federer’s backyard for a decade and missed last year with fatigue after signing a three-year appearance fee contract in 2012 which he has yet to start honouring.