The event, which begins on Sunday in an effort to attract more fans, is the first of back-to-back elite events as the big names swing into action on the hard courts of North America.

Federer has not played since lifting a fifth straight Wimbledon title, beating Nadal in five sets on the grass.

The 20-year-old Spanish number two took a week off, and then won another clay trophy along with a flash Mercedes car at the Stuttgart ATP stop.

While top 10 Americans including Andy Roddick and James Blake have played a limited schedule at home in recent weeks, Europeans have been holding off their debuts on the cement.

But with the year's final Grand Slam starting in just three weeks, the seeding depth reflects the seriousness of the big names, with all of the top 16 taking their places.

Heading back to action after three months out with a wrist injury will be Scot Andy Murray, who takes the 13th seeding and opens against slumping American Robby Ginepri.

Richard Gasquet at number eight is the only seeded Frenchman in a tournament that alternates each year between Francophone Montreal and Toronto.

The leading eight seeds benefit from byes. In the second round, Federer will put his July training at his hot-weather base in Dubai to an early test against either huge-serving Croatian Ivo Karlovic or Max Mirnyi of Belarus.