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World men's figure skating champion Evan Lysacek and women's silver medallist Joannie Rochette both open their Olympic seasons at the Cup of China in Bejing on Friday.

The third of the six-leg ISU Grand Prix figure skating series will also see the return to competition of star Chinese pair skaters Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo who face a much-anticipated clash with compatriots Zhang Dan and Zhang Hao.

Lysacek claimed his first world title at home in Los Angeles earlier this year and will be keen to keep the momentum going as he bids for the Olympic title after finishing fourth in Turin.

The 24-year-old American could however face a tough challenge from Japan's Nobunari Oda who got his season off to a winning start at the Trophee Eric Bompard in Paris earlier this month.

A win in Beijing would not only book Oda's spot in the Grand Prix final in Tokyo in December but would be a psychological boost for the Japanese skater as he bids for the Olympic podium in Vancouver in February.

Lysacek is in battling form as he looks to get his Olympic season off to a strong start, warning that he is already in fighting form for Beijing.

The world champion will skate to Stravinsky's Firebird for the short programme and Rimsky-Korsakov's Sheherazade for the free skate.

"It's definitely a stretch for me but I'm excited about it," Lysacek said of his short programme choreographed by Lori Nichol.

In his free skate, he explained: "The characters I'm portraying are the king and the golden slave. It shows very different moods as I'm trying to acknowledge the presence of both characters throughout the programme."

Oda's short programme is to Danse Macabre and his free programme, a Charlie Chaplin medley, went down well in Paris.

Other challengers in the men's event are Italy's Samuel Contesti who returns to the Grand Prix circuit for the first time since 2005. The 26-year-old finished second at last year's Europeans and fifth at the worlds.

French champion Yannick Ponsero, who finished fifth in the Paris Grand Prix, can make the podium if he gives a consistent performance, with Kazakhstan's Denis Ten, 16, who finished eighth at worlds, also a potential medallist.

The three Chinese competitors - Guan Jinlin, Xu Ming and Yang Chao - will be hoping to impress the home crowd.

In the women's event, Canada's Rochette is the overwhelming favourite.

She is coming off a strong 2008-2009 season, winning two Grand Prix events and finishing second at the worlds and in the Four Continents.

The 23-year-old will also be looking to get off to a winning start as she targets the Olympics at home in Canada.

Her programmes are La Cumparsita in the short programme and a free skate to Saint-Saens' Samson and Delilah.

Among her challengers will be American Rachael Flatt, the 2008 world junior champion, Japan's Fumie Suguri and Akiko Suzuki.

Italy's Carolina Kostner will be trying to put her disastrous start in Paris behind her and find the form that gave her two world medals.

The highlight for the home crowd will however be the return of Shen and Zhao.

The former world and Olympic medallists retired in 2007 and got married but have decided to come back for the Olympic season.

They will be up against teammates Zhang Dan and Zhang Hao with Ukrainian pairs Tatiana Volosozhar and Stanislav Morozov also challenging.

In ice dancing, the battle is set to be between world silver medallists Tanith Belbin and Benjamin Agosto from the the United States and European champions Jana Khokhlova and Sergei Novitski of Russia.

AFP