Paint is one of the most sought-after items at the ongoing 2007 Masters Cup in Shanghai. But rather than using it to create masterpieces on canvas or paper, faithful tennis fans use the material to draw national flags on their faces, showing support for their favorite tennis players.

Fans cheer for Andy Roddick at the Masters Cup in Shanghai on November 14, 2007.

"We have been drawing normally 300 to 400 flags per day since the games started on Sunday, and 50 tubes of paint in different colors have gone," said Pan Jun, a volunteer enlisted by the event's organizers to help spectators draw the patterns on their cheeks or hands at the Crazy Fans Center outside the court.

Pan is a veteran face painter. This is his third consecutive trip to the Masters Cup. Now in his final year of study in the art department of Shanghai University, Pan says his hand is sore by the end of the day because he "drew too much".

"We spend as short as 30 seconds to complete a flag and there are several of us from the art department, but you can see people keep coming and make us busy," said the 22-year-old.

Gu Peili, a university freshman, paints the small Stars and Stripes flag on her hand to show adoration for Andy Roddick, the world's No 5 player from the United States.

In her first trip to the star-studded tennis event, the teenager Gu, who had to skip classes with her classmate to attend, said the atmosphere is exciting in the stadium and "much better than watching TV".

"I couldn't be here in the past because I was not economically independent as a high school student," she said. "But the rivalry was so dramatic I couldn't help leaving my seat and cheering for them behind the rails. I love this sport!"

But the title of craziest fan - at least in terms of face-painting - should be given to a fan from central China's Hunan Province, who painted a huge Swiss national flag all over his face during last year's Masters Cup.

According to Pan, the man received a towel from Roger Federer as a gift after the tennis king saw his painted face and was impressed by his loyalty. Following in that fan's path, this year several fans, including a man from Chile, have asked Pan to draw full-faced patterns to show their support.

Another faithful fan is Feng Renquan, a senior student at Xiamen University in east China's Fujian Province. To make enough money for tickets and a trip to Shanghai, the young man and his friends worked odd jobs for three months, barely able to cover the cost of attending.

"I have collected the signature of all the players of the Cup except Rafael Nadal," said the young man proudly. He has been living on bottled water and biscuits to save every single penny because of his tight budget. "It's worth it," he said.

At the Crazy Fans Center, volunteers are busy handing out badges printed with images of Nadal, Federer and Argentine David Nalbandian. Visitors get one if they fill out a survey form.

"We prepare about 400 of them every day," said a volunteer, adding that they disappear quickly. "The badges with Federer's image are the most sought-after."

(China Daily November 16, 2007)