Nadal hoping to smash Masters record in Shanghai event

US Open champion Rafael Nadal has said that he is hoping to become the first male tennis player to win six Masters trophies in the same season by winning at the Shanghai Masters this week.

Nadal, who has replaced Novak Djokovic at the top of the new ATP rankings despite losing to the Serb in the China Open final, has enjoyed one of the best spells of his career after he came back from a career-threatening injury to win two Major titles.

According to Sport24, the Spaniard is hoping to smash the record for Masters titles claimed in a year in Shanghai, saying that he is also eyeing the coveted title of year-end world number one at the ATP World Tour Finals so that he can be the best of the year.

The report mentioned that since returning in February after seven months out with a left knee injury, the Spaniard has won ten titles, including the French Open and the US Open and had been unbeaten since his early exit at Wimbledon until the China Open loss to Djokovic.

Nadal, who is now just four Grand Slams shy of Federer's record of 17, equalled Djokovic's record of five Masters titles in a season by winning at Cincinnati in August.

The Shanghai Masters started on Sunday with first-round wins for Lukas Rosol, Carlos Berlocq, Florian Mayer and Pablo Andujar, the report added.