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It is hard to definitively say what is "good" for tennis, but if you notice, that doesn't stop people from trying. And Roger Federer let on Friday that he has noticed. He seemed bemused by all the talk about whether he and the rest of the Big Four -- Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray -- have seen the future of tennis at the US Open, and it doesn't include them in starring roles anymore.

It will happen eventually, of course. Federer himself had already conceded the obvious weeks earlier this summer, in Toronto, even as he was (hello?) beating Marin Cilic in the third round of the star-studded Rogers Cup. But did Cilic's march to the US Open final signal change at the top is happening right here, right now? "I don't think so," Federer said with an almost disinterested shrug and little smile after Cilic beat him Friday in straights sets.

More than a decade ago when Federer was the man who ushered Pete Sampras off center stage by snapping Sampras' dominance at Wimbledon, it truly was a thunderclap warning that change was on the way. Federer had long been seen as a ridiculously gifted rising star who could rule the game. And now he was finally commencing to translate it into on-court results. But pardon Federer if after contributing to an apple-cart-toppling men's final that also featured Kei Nishikori, the first Japanese man ever to play for a Grand Slam title, Federer was not ready to declare the Big Four unseated. Not even after he was reminded this US Open marked the first time none of them was in a Slam final since 2005.

"You create your stories," Federer told the press. "You said the same in Australia. Everybody. And then we know what happened at the French Open final, Wimbledon final."

Oh. That.

The rush to recognize epochal moments or eulogize champions is part of the fun and romance of sports. And Federer knows all of that is powering the "Kings Are Dead" storylines, too.

Federer's Swiss countryman Stan Warinka -- who with his unremarkable build and wisp of a beard could pass for a milkman from Gstaad just as easily as a tennis scourge -- did indeed rise up and win the Australian Open against Nadal. But then, as Federer pointed out, the results went back to chalk at the French Open, where Nadal dismissed Djokovic in a four-set final, and at Wimbledon, where Djokovic outlasted Federer in another classic, 6-7(7), 6-4, 7-6(4), 5-7, 6-4. As the scores indicate, it was a match Federer just as easily could have won.

Even Djokovic's emotionally flat four-set loss to Nishikori in their New York semifinal featured an oddity that sometimes pops up in tennis: Djokovic actually won more points and committed fewer unforced errors during the match than Nishikori. So, you know, it's not like the chair ump should've made Nishikori defend the doubles alleys against Djokovic just to make it a fair fight.

"I lost," Djokovic said, refusing to complicate it any more than that.

Cilic, who dominated the US Open final in straight sets, is finally touching the sort of heights that were predicted for him when he made his only other career Slam semifinal as a hard-serving, 21-year-old at the Australian Open four years ago, prompting comparisons to his Croatian idol, Goran Ivanisevic, who is now his coach. The other day, Cilic said something about what this year's Slams meant to the future of tennis: What Wawrinka's victory over Nadal did was give the players on the back bench -- Cilic calls them "the second line" -- some belief they could crack the stranglehold the Big Four has had on the game.

But what was just as notable was Cilic did not go on to say that there's been any bragging among the second-liners about making these shocker results a regular occurrence. And Nishikori said the same thing: They all want to do it. They hope and work like hell to do it. But as both of them learned over the US Open fortnight, it's damn hard to make even one of these finals, let alone amass a combined 40 Slam titles like the Big Four has done.

"For the guys that are top, [it] feels normal," Ancic said. "But for some guys that are making for the first time, it's the achievement of the career."

Indeed, just look at Nishikori's rugged path. He needed 4 hours, 19 minutes to beat big, bad Milos Raonic of Canada in a match that didn't end until 2:26 a.m., and he didn't get to sleep until 6 a.m. He then needed 4 hours, 15 minutes to outlast Wawrinka later that afternoon just to get to his Djokovic semifinal.

"It's a bit of a changeup year," Cilic allowed, "considering all the past years that these top four guys were making to the final. Wawrinka opened the doors for us from the second line, and I think most of the guys have now bigger belief that they can do it on the Grand Slams. But, I mean ... the best guys are not going away, and [you] sort of feel is it gonna happen ever." And so, until guys such as Raonic or Grigor Dimitrov, Nishikori or Cilic, David Ferrer or Wawrinka make these Slam upsets normal, hold off on saying wholesale change at the top has cemented in place just yet.

Change is just afoot.

Because all of the Big Four have shown their vulnerabilities.

Federer is 33. He had a strong summer, and he's still ranked third in the world. Even he confessed that when the Arthur Ashe stadium crowd grew raucous and supportive of him as he was clawing his way back from a no-sets-to-two hole against Gael Monfils in the quarterfinal round, he got quite emotional. The fans' yearning to see him get one more cut at his 18th Grand Slam in a draw that seemed to have opened up for him -- all at a tournament he'd won five straight times but not at all since 2008 -- reminded him no one knows how many times he'll pass this way again.

Murray, like Djokovic, is 27, but he's now playing for a new coach, Amelie Mauresmo, who replaced taskmaster Ivan Lendl. Murray seems to be battling some ennui since his life-changing Wimbledon win last year made him the first Brit to capture the tournament in eight decades (and brought him an estimated $100 million windfall in off-court earnings). Now that he's achieved the animating goal of his career, Murray seems to drift back at times to soft and churlish Andy, the man whom fellow Brit Virginia Wade has described as a "drama queen." During his US Open matches against Djokovic, and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga before that, Murray often wailed and screamed and stomped around the court, babbling out loud at himself like a mad man.

Nadal is 28, but he is out again with another of his disabling injuries -- this time a bad wrist and not his creaking knees. While it's hard to imagine his will ever leaving him, his body could betray him first.

Djokovic made two Slams finals and won that Wimbledon crown to regain the No. 1 ranking this year. That should make him the player of the year. Going forward, he seems best situated among the Big Four to repel the challengers who are gaining on all of them. But it's hard to know how to read Djokovic's remark after getting married this summer and announcing that he and his wife have a child on the way: "Tennis isn't No. 1 anymore."

We'll see what that shift means to him. But he disagreed Friday that it's why he lost to Nishikori in New York.

The truth is, as amazing as the 24-year-old Nishikori's run to the final was, and as nice as it is to see Cilic paroled at age 25 from fate as yet another phenom who never lived up to his advance notices, neither of them looks like tennis' next ascendant. Great if they were, they'd have probably showed it by now.

And so, as great a story as Wawrinka's or Cilic's marches to Grand Slam titles were, the takeaway from 2014 is to keep scouring that so-called second line for someone consistently spectacular enough to banish the Big Four. Because it's going to take more than one Slam title win to declare a coup at the top is really on.

We still aren't sure who the Next Man Up will be yet. Just that surely he's going to come.

ATPWorldTour.com reviews how the key rivalries played out in 2014. Today we feature Kei Nishikori vs. Milos Raonic

The young guns of the ATP World Tour continued their assault on the Emirates ATP Rankings in 2014, as the rising star revolution thrived behind the dominant play of Kei Nishikori and Milos Raonic.

Grigor Dimitrov won a trio of titles, 17-year-olds Alexander Zverev and Borna Coric reached respective semi-finals in Hamburg and Basel, Nick Kyrgios stunned the Wimbledon field en route to the quarters, and David Goffin and Dominic Thiem contested the first final between players born in the 1990s, in Kitzbuhel, but it was Nishikori and Raonic who stole the show.

Both the Japanese and the Canadian became the first players from their countries to ascend to the Top 10 of the Emirates ATP Rankings, and capped their campaigns by surging to qualify for the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals. Combining for 103 match wins and five titles, they found themselves on opposite sides of the net on four occasions, dueling on clay, grass, outdoor hard and indoor hard courts.

Nishikori and Raonic had competed on just one previous occasion entering the year, with the home favourite winning the 2012 Tokyo final, and a new rivalry would be spawned in 2014.

Madrid, Third Round
Nishikori reached his first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 final at the Mutua Madrid Open in May (l. to Nadal), but the road wasn't an easy one for the 24 year old. He needed 10 match points to overcome a fifth-ranked NishikoriDavid Ferrer in the semi-finals and two days earlier found himself in the cross-hairs of the big-serving Raonic.

Nishikori was riding a seven-match winning streak, having come into Madrid on the back of winning his first ATP World Tour clay-court title in Barcelona. He would conjure a clutch display of tennis to prevail in two tie-breaks, 7-6(5), 7-6(5), rallying from 2-5 down in the first set. The win put him on the precipice of becoming the first Japanese player to break into the Top 10 of the Emirates ATP Rankings and he would not let the opportunity slip through his grasp.

"It was really tough because against Raonic you don't get many rallies and you don't get rhythm,” said Nishikori. “He was very aggressive and playing well... It's a great opportunity for me. I'm playing well and feeling very confident.”

Wimbledon, Fourth Round
Less than two months later, on 1 July, the budding rivalry would shift to the lawns of the All England Club for a Round of 16 battle at Wimbledon. Behind a steady barrage of firepower that yielded 35 aces and 66 winners, Raonic would get his revenge, triumphing 4-6, 6-1, 7-6(4), 6-3 in two hours and 27 minutes. He would eventually become the first Canadian to reach a Grand Slam semi-final just days later, with a Raonicquarter-final victory over Kyrgios.

"I know with Kei, he's very quick," said Raonic. "If you don't get behind a good approach or if you don't do enough with that first volley, you can be in trouble. He can sort of dig it out from both sides... I've been serving well. That's helping me, taking a lot of pressure off me and putting more so on my opponents."

US Open, Fourth Round
Following Raonic's Grand Slam breakthrough on the grass, Nishikori was keen to make a splash of his own as the major season neared its conclusion at the US Open. The Shimane native would become the first Asian-born player to reach a final of a Slam, but his achievement nearly failed to come to fruition. Nishikori and Raonic would once again meet in a Round of 16 clash and it would become an instant classic under the lights of Arthur Ashe Stadium.

The Japanese was forced to claw back from a two-sets-to-one deficit for the 4-6, 7-6(4), 6-7(8), 7-5, 6-4 win, overcoming 86 winners by the 6'5" right-hander. The match, which got underway in August, concluded at 2:26 a.m. local time on 1 September, tying the record for the latest finish in US Open history. “It's going to bring confidence for sure for the next round,” said Nishikori following the match. “It was a really tough five sets."

Tokyo, Final
Nishikori and Raonic would be meet one more time in 2014, with both players jockeying for position in the Emirates ATP Race To London. For the second time in three years, the final of the ATP World Tour 500 series stop in Tokyo would feature the two young guns and Nishikori would not be denied in his backyard, edging Raonic 7-6(5), 4-6, 6-4 under a closed roof at the Ariake Colosseum. The win gave the 24 year old back-to-back titles after prevailing in Kuala Lumpur the week prior.

"He was serving really well, with a lot of aces," said Nishikori. "Luckily I got the first tie-break and that helped my motivation for the match. If I had lost the tie-break, I might have screwed up the whole match. He started aggressively and I think it was one of my toughest matches against Milos."

With their career trajectories pointing skyward, their 2014 encounters could be the first of many in a heated rivalry.

Nishikori vs. Raonic: 2014 Meetings

Tournament Winner Score
Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships F
Nishikori 76(5) 46 64
US Open 4R
Nishikori 46 76(4) 67(6) 75 64
Wimbledon 4R
Raonic 46 61 76(4) 63
Mutua Madrid Open 3R
Nishikori 76(5) 76(5)

Nishikori vs. Raonic: FedEx ATP Head 2 Head

ATPWorldTour.com reviews how the key rivalries played out in 2014. Today we feature Novak Djokovic vs. Roger Federer

Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer finished No. 1 and No. 2 in the Emirates ATP Rankings in 2014 and the two heavyweights provided one of the most exhilarating rivalries of the season. They alternated victories over five encounters on hard, clay and grass courts, with the Swiss edging the Serb 3-2.

Federer leads Djokovic 19-17 overall in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series, tied with Ivan Lendl and John McEnroe for the second-most number of meetings between two players in the Open Era. Only Djokovic and Rafael Nadal have battled on more occasions.

A year after dueling just two times, the pair reignited their rivalry in grand fashion in 2014. When Djokovic had gotten the better of Federer at the 2013 Barclays ATP World Tour Finals, it marked the third consecutive victory by the Belgrade native, but the Swiss was determined to snap the streak in their first meeting in February, 2014.

Dubai, Semi-finals
The 33 year old sent a message in the semi-finals of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, giving Djokovic fits with a hyper-aggressive brand of tennis that yielded 26 winners and seven aces, striking his backhand with conviction and attacking the net frequently. Federer prevailed 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 en route to his sixth Dubai crown, overcoming Tomas Berdych in the final. It was the first time that Federer had lost the first set against Djokovic and rallied to win.

"Beating Novak on the hard courts here in Dubai, it's tough," said Federer. "Clearly not best-of-five, clearly not the final, but this is a big [win]. It's a big step in the right direction for me. Gives me a lot of confidence."

Indian Wells, Final
Djokovic would exact revenge just weeks later and this time the prestigious BNP Paribas Open title in Indian Wells was at stake. An instant match-of-the-year candidate, Djokovic mounted an impressive rally from a set down and held his nerve after failing to serve out the victory at 5-4 in the decider, dramatically triumphing 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(3). The victory halted Federer's 11-match win streak and gave the 27-year-old Djokovic a 42nd title and 17th at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 level, tying American Andre Agassi for third on the Masters 1000 title leaders list.

"Roger is playing at a very high level," Djokovic told reporters. "He just played better than he did in the last 13, 14 months. I needed to really be on the top of my game and very concentrated in the last moments in order to win. I'm very proud of my achievements during this tournament."

Monte-Carlo, Semi-finals
By the time they met in the semi-finals of the Monte Carlo Rolex Masters on 19 April, both players were surging as the clay-court season commenced. Djokovic had his sights set on retaining the title and capturing his third consecutive ATP World Tour Masters 1000 crown, having just completed the Indian Wells-Miami double. Federer had other ideas, overwhelming the defending champion 7-5, 6-2 to set an all-Swiss final with Djokovic, FedererStan Wawrinka. He lost a mere five points on serve in the second set.

Wimbledon, Final
It would not take long before the pair dueled on the Grand Slam stage in the Wimbledon final, and it would prove to be a five-set battle royale at the All England Club. Djokovic overcame a rollercoaster fourth set to claim his second Wimbledon title 6-7(7), 6-4, 7-6(4), 5-7, 6-4.

Federer's resiliency was on full display in what was his ninth Wimbledon final, saving a championship point, while reeling off five consecutive games from 2-5 down in the fourth. The momentum swung to his corner as he forced a deciding set, with the Centre Court faithful roaring in approval of the high-quality affair. Djokovic would not be denied, however, as the top seed converted his fourth break of serve for the victory after three hours and 56 minutes.

The Serb won his seventh crown at the major level, returning to World No. 1 with the win and embarking on his third stint atop the Emirates ATP Rankings.

"I want to congratulate Roger on a great tournament and great fight today," said Djokovic in his on-court Federerspeech. "It was a great match to be part of. He's a magnificent champion, a great example of a great athlete and a role model for many kids. I respect his career and everything he's done."

Shanghai, Semi-finals
The Wimbledon defeat had little lasting effects on the Swiss maestro as Federer would proceed to reach consecutive ATP World Tour Masters 1000 finals in Toronto and Cincinnati, claiming the title at the latter (d. Ferrer), and advancing to the semi-finals at the US Open. The rivalry would reach a thrilling climax on 11 October at the Shanghai Rolex Masters, as Federer produced what could be his best tennis of the year to snap Djokovic's 28-match winning streak on Chinese soil with a 6-4, 6-4 semi-final victory. The win brought the Swiss back to No. 2 in the Emirates ATP Rankings and he would earn his 22nd Masters 1000 crown a day later (d. Simon).

“It was a great match,” said Federer. “I think I played very well. There was nothing in the game today that wasn't working. I think it was a high-level match. I'm unbelievably happy with the way it went.”

Djokovic vs. Federer: 2014 Meetings
Tournament Winner Score
Shanghai Rolex Masters SF
Federer 64 64
Wimbledon F
Djokovic 67(7) 64 76(4) 57 64
Monte Carlo Rolex Masters SF
Federer 75 62
BNP Paribas Open F Djokovic 36 63 76(3)
Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships SF Federer 36 63 62

ATPWorldTour.com reviews how the key rivalries played out in 2014. Today we feature Andy Murray vs. Tommy Robredo

When Tommy Robredo closes his eyes, he probably still sees the 10 match points he held and failed to convert against Andy Murray in their two matches this season.

Murray-Robredo encounters have typically been fairly routine in recent years. Not so in 2014, when they contested two of the most dramatic finals on the ATP World Tour, both counting significantly in the Emirates ATP Race To London.

The resurgent Robredo recorded more than 40 match wins in a season for the first time since 2009 and claimed his 500th career victory en route to setting up his second clash with Murray in Valencia.

Murray, meanwhile, mounted an inspired late surge towards the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals after the US Open, winning three titles from six tournaments to grab one of the final berths in the eight-man field in London. It was during that spell that his bid was nearly thwarted twice by the 32-year-old Robredo.

Shenzhen, Final
Searching for his first title since winning Wimbledon 15 months earlier, Murray battled the gruelling conditions in Shenzhen to reach the final, but looked set to fall at the final hurdle against Robredo, who was also chasing his first trophy since July 2013.

MurrayThe Spaniard was poised for victory as he led 6-2 in the second-set tie-break, having clinched the opener 7-5. But with 250 valuable points on the line, Murray mounted an improbable comeback. The Dunblane native fought back to level at 6-6 before denying Robredo a fifth match point at 6-7 and ultimately levelling the match. With Robredo wilting physically in the testing conditions and barely able to run shots down, Murray raced through the decider, claiming victory in two hours and 30 minutes.

"The way that the match was won doesn't happen very often," said Murray. "It's rare to win a match like that. I was very close to losing. It was an emotional week for me. I managed to fight my way through it and win the title.

"I got lucky, basically, at the end of the second set. I fought hard, tried my best and thankfully managed to turn it round. Tommy had a great tournament; he probably deserved to win the match today. I just tried to fight till the end.”

As Murray said, finals like that don’t come along too often. Surely it was unthinkable that the same thing would happen just four weeks later in Valencia…

Read Full Match Report & Watch Highlights

Valencia, Final
Murray certainly laid it all on the line in his quest to qualify for the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals in London. With just two tournaments left, the Scot battled for three hours and 20 minutes to overcome Robredo in the longest ATP World Tour final of the season, earning a crucial 500 extra points in the Emirates ATP Race To London.

Robredo, MurrayRobredo again had chances to close out Murray in the second set, but was denied on two match points in the tie-break as Murray dug deep to force a decider. This time, Robredo went toe-to-toe with Murray until the bitter end. The right-hander let slip a 4-3 break advantage as the match went to another tie-break. Robredo had match points at 6-5, 7-6 and 8-7, but Murray rose to the occasion, saving them all and finally sealing the win with a backhand passing shot.

“It was an amazing match, and you have to enjoy it," said Robredo, who embraced Murray at the net. "Unfortunately someone has to win and it was decided by a few balls. It is what it is. When I finish the season next week, and I watch today’s match against one of the best players we have right now, I will be very happy."

Murray vs. Robredo: 2014 Meetings

Tournament Winner Score
Shenzhen Open, F Murray 5-7, 7-6(9), 6-1 - Saved 5 M.P.
Valencia Open 500, F Murray 3-6, 7-6(7), 7-6(8) - Saved 5 M.P.

ATPWorldTour.com reviews how the key rivalries played out in 2014. Today we feature Novak Djokovic vs. Rafael Nadal.

The two titans met just three times this year, in the finals of the Miami Open presented by Itau, the Internazionali BNL d'Italia in Rome and at Roland Garros, but on each occasion it seemed that not only pride, but a piece of tennis history was on the line. For ever since Rafael Nadal reclaimed No. 1 on 7 October 2013, he had been looking over his shoulder. Not at a chasing pack, more one player: Novak Djokovic, the previous incumbent.

By the time of their first clash at Crandon Park in Key Biscayne, Djokovic was eager to extend his winning streak over Nadal to three matches. Since losing the No. 1 spot, Djokovic had compiled a 32-2 match record that included four ATP World Tour titles and Nadal, by contrast, had gone 31-5, with two trophies, over the same period. The battle for No. 1, which Djokovic ultimately regained from Nadal at Wimbledon in early July, was one of the year's intriguing storylines.

In their 40th meeting, Nadal was hoping to get his hands on the Miami trophy after three runner-up finishes, while Djokovic was looking to win the Indian Wells-Miami double for the second time (also 2011).

After saving one break point in the first game, Djokovic produced a devastating display that Nadal had no answer to. Unable to make inroads into his counterpart's serve in the second set, Nadal won just four of 21 return points. Djokovic hit 22 winners in a 6-3, 6-3 victory for his fourth crown at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament.

"I played a great match, from the start to the end everything was working really well," said Djokovic, who has won 18 of his past 19 matches at Crandon Park since 2011. "It's always a challenge and a pleasure to play against Rafa. Back in 2007, I won my first big title here in Miami and I have the greatest memories from this centre court." Nadal said, "In no other tournament have I lost this many finals, but it's always a very special tournament for me. The energy and passion from the crowd is unforgettable."

Nadal, Djokovic, Rome'The King of Clay' has set the bar so high on red dirt over the past 10 years, that when Nadal arrived at the Foro Italico in May with just one European clay title on the season, questions were asked about his form. The Spaniard had seen his 46-0 record in clay quarter-finals end to David Ferrer at the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters, before he suffered his first loss at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell since he was 16 years old.

Though he won his fourth Mutua Madrid Open crown the week prior, Nadal had spent more than 10 hours on court en route to the Rome final. But the seven-time champion showed no signs of fatigue in the early stages as he produced a ferocious offensive onslaught. Djokovic — in his comeback tournament from a wrist injury — regrouped and found his range and rhythm to hold Nadal to under 28 per cent of second serve points won for the rest of the match. With his fourth straight victory over Nadal, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, it meant that Djokovic would arrive at Roland Garros as the equal favourite with Nadal.

"Four out of five matches [this week] were three-setters and I had to come back from one set down yesterday against [Milos] Raonic and again today," said Djokovic. "That gives me a lot of confidence. Winning against Rafa in the final of a big tournament on clay, his preferred surface, is definitely a confidence booster."

Borg, Nadal, ParisIt all came down to one match, the final chapter of their 2014 trilogy. For the victor: No. 1 in the Emirates ATP Rankings. For Nadal, a shot at becoming the first player in tennis history to win a major nine times, and for Djokovic an opportunity to join Fred Perry, Don Budge, Rod Laver, Roy Emerson, Andre Agassi, Roger Federer and Nadal as a winner of the career Grand Slam.

Djokovic, the 2012 runner-up, had won eight of his past nine sets against Nadal and once again took an early lead in the match. The omens were good. In their previous 11 meetings at major championships, the first-set winner went on to clinch victory on nine occasions. But the match swung in Nadal's favour over a 15-minute period, when he broke Djokovic in the 10th game of the second set and went on to win five straight games.

After the 3-6, 7-5, 6-2, 6-4 win, an emotional Nadal rushed to his family in the Court Philippe Chatrier stands, having drawn level with Pete Sampras at No. 2 in the Grand Slam title-leaders list on 14 major crowns. "It was very important for me to win that second set," said Nadal, who is now 10-3 in best-of-five-set matches against Djokovic. "Without that second set, I don't know if I would have this trophy with me now."

Djokovic vs. Nadal: 2014 Meetings
Tournament Winner Score
Miami Open, presented by Itau F Djokovic 63 63
Internazionali BNL d'Italia F Djokovic 46 63 63
Roland Garros F Nadal 36 75 62 64

The prestige of qualifying for the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals creates a frantic battle for places at the end of each season. For Milos Raonic, it was no different. He didn’t want to be an alternate at The O2 in London again. Having pulled out of the Shanghai Rolex Masters the week earlier due to illness, the Canadian rose from his sick bed of 10 days in a bid to add 250 valuable Emirates ATP Race To London points with the Kremlin Cup title. Raonic was expected to dominate with his big serve on the slick indoor courts, but with two days’ practise under his belt an upset was on the cards.

World No. 116 Ricardas Berankis played with great composure to record his first Top 10 win (1-5 lifetime), withstanding 15 aces from Raonic for a 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 victory in one hour and 53 minutes. It was just his 11th tour-level win of the season. "I'm really happy about the win. To beat a Top 10 player and the No. 1 seed in the tournament is a great feeling and it gives me a lot of confidence,” said former junior World No. 1 Berankis, who played through qualifying to reach the quarter-finals (l. to Bautista Agut). He then put together a 12-3 record on the ATP Challenger Tour, including one title at Andria (d. Basilashvili) to finish the year at No. 86 in the Emirates ATP Rankings. Raonic won only 40 per cent of his second serve points against Berankis, but regrouped and went on to qualify for the season finale for the first time and become the first Canadian to finish in the year-end Top 10.

By the time Dominic Thiem opened his Mutua Madrid Open campaign, the Austrian had qualified for seven tour-level events (including Madrid) in nine tournaments on the season. As a young talent, who combined steely resilience with an aesthetically pleasing single-handed backhand, he had already got the attention of the tennis world. In his greatest test to date, World No. 70 Thiem went toe-to-toe with No. 3-ranked Stan Wawrinka, the in-form Australian Open and Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters champion, at the Mutua Madrid Open on 6 May.

In a battle of single-handed backhands, Wawrinka dominated the first set as he looked to have carried his imperious form from the clay courts of the Monte-Carlo Country Club. Yet once Wawrinka’s backhand potency failed, Thiem’s confidence soared. There were ample opportunities to fold, but Thiem served well in clutch situations to record a 1-6, 6-2, 6-4 win. He became the first 20 year old to beat a Top 3 player since Juan Martin del Potro defeated Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer en route to the 2009 US Open title. "I cannot really believe it," admitted Thiem. "I was in this famous zone during the match. I was unbelievably concentrated. I think that's how you can play these very good matches, if you are 100 per cent concentrated and 100 per cent out on the court." It was Wawrinka’s fourth loss of the year and his first in an opening-round match since October 2013. Thiem ended his first full season on the ATP World Tour at No. 39, a hike of 100 places in 12 months.

Roy Emerson has been the standard bearer on Stanley Street in Auckland for more than five decades. Kiwi Onny Parun came the closest to breaking ‘Emmo’s’ four triumphs at the Heineken Open venue in the 1970s, but ended his career with three titles from six finals. Over the past eight years, David Ferrer has been a regular visitor and in 2014 was favoured to break Emerson’s record trophy haul. On 10 January, World No. 3 Ferrer came into his semi-final against Yen-Hsun Lu on a 14-match winning streak at the ATP World Tour 250 tournament.

LuFour seasons removed from his Wimbledon fourth-round upset of Andy Roddick, which ranked as ATPWorldTour.com’s biggest upset of 2010, Lu compiled the week of his career to reach his first ATP World Tour final with a 6-4, 7-6(4) victory over four-time Auckland titlist Ferrer. "It was better than good," said 30-year-old Lu. "I played perfect. It was a really amazing day. I will always remember this match and the way I played. I played the best tennis I have played over the last few years." Ferrer had won his past eight semi-finals. Lu went on to lose to John Isner in two tie-breaks in the final and ended 2014 at No. 38, five spots off his career-high.

So great has been Rafael Nadal’s dominance on clay over the past decade (318-24 lifetime record), that any time he loses on red dirt the tennis world appears to shift on its axis. For his scalp is the greatest of prizes. Arriving at Real Club de Tennis Barcelona 1899 with his tail between his legs, following a quarter-final loss to David Ferrer at the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters, Nadal had a point to prove. In striding out onto Pista Central on 25 April, the Spaniard had nothing to fear as he had recorded 42 straight victories (losing just three sets) at the event since his only loss as a 15-year-old to Alex Corretja in 2003. Nicolas Almagro must have known what was coming. The Spaniard had never beaten Nadal in 10 meetings, winning just two of 25 sets.

AlmagroA day after avenging his Houston final loss to Fernando Verdasco, Almagro seized his chance to end the longest of waits. He recovered from 1-3 down in the second set tie-break and broke eight-time champion Nadal’s serve three times in the decider, including to love for a 5-4 lead. He then fought back from 15/40 to complete the biggest win of his career, 2-6, 7-6(5), 6-4 in two hours and 48 minutes.

Nadal admitted, "I felt I did a lot of things well to win, but at the end, [there] remained a little bit [missing]. For two sets I was playing better than him, much more chances than him. I was in advantage [in the third set], in control, and I missed a lot of opportunities during the match. And playing against a good opponent like him, the normal thing is lose in the end and that's what happened." Nadal soon bounced back by clinching his fourth Mutua Madrid Open crown (d. Nishikori), prior to reaching the Internazionali BNL d'Italia final (l. to Djokovic) and then lifting a record ninth Roland Garros trophy (d. Djokovic). It ended a dramatic two-month European clay-court swing.

In a golden age for the ATP World Tour, when several records have been broken by Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, one barrier currently remains out of reach. No singles player has completed a Career Golden Masters, winning all nine of the current ATP World Tour Masters 1000 trophies. Federer is missing Monte-Carlo and Rome, while silverware in Miami and Paris remains elusive to Nadal. Yet ever since Novak Djokovic beat Nadal for his first Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters title in April 2013, the prospect of completing a Career Golden Masters has been within his sights. All Djokovic needs is one Western & Southern Open crown.

RobredoLast year, John Isner got the better of him in the Cincinnati quarter-finals. This time around it was Tommy Robredo’s turn. The Spaniard claimed just his second victory over a World No. 1 — and his first for 10 years, since beating Lleyton Hewitt at 2003 Roland Garros — with a 7-6(6), 7-5 win in one hour and 44 minutes. Djokovic saved three set points from 3-6 down in the tie-break, but Robredo kept his nerve. "When I finish my career, and when I will be sitting at home and talking with friends, I will remember days like this," said Robredo. “It's amazing to be here playing and to beat the No. 1. I'm more than happy.”

Made to toil in a three-set win over Gilles Simon 24 hours earlier, Djokovic committed 30 unforced errors as his slow transition from Wimbledon grass to North American hard courts continued. Ten days before the start of the US Open, Djokovic admitted, “Many, many, many things are not clicking these two weeks on hard courts. It’s unfortunate, but it’s more than obvious I’m not playing even close to what I’m supposed to play.” Djokovic went on to finish year-end No. 1 for the third time.

World No. 124 Borna Coric compiled a fine run at the Swiss Indoors Basel, which highlighted his future potential to tennis fans. The Croatian teenager recorded the biggest win of his career on 24 October in beating World No. 3 Rafael Nadal, playing his first tournament since being diagnosed with appendicitis in Shanghai, 6-2, 7-6(4) for a place in the semi-finals. “It’s unbelievable for me,” said Coric. “I just want to enjoy the moment. I’m just so surprised and it’s an unbelievable feeling.” It didn't make the Top 5 because Nadal was clearly below full fitness.

It did not take long for Roberto Bautista Agut to begin his Most Improved Player of the Year campaign in 2014. The Spaniard, who crashed onto the ATP World Tour scene with a surprise run to the season-opening Aircel Chennai Open final a year prior, did not waste time in making his presence felt once again.

Bautista Agut opened the season with a semi-final result at the Heineken Open and entered the first major of the year high on confidence. The 26-year-old’s two previous trips Down Under had yielded Grand Slam firsts. In 2012, he snapped a skid of seven straight failed qualifying endeavors at the major level and in 2013 he would go one step further, winning his first Grand Slam match in five sets over Fabio Fognini.

This year, after relinquishing just four games in a first round defeat of Tim Smyczek at Melbourne Park, Bautista Agut found himself in the crosshairs of World No. 5 Juan Martin del Potro. The 62nd-ranked Spaniard would step up to the challenge, striking 72 winners for a stunning 4-6, 6-3, 5-7, 6-4, 7-5 comeback victory. The match lasted three hours and 53 minutes and ended at 1:20 a.m. local time after a day of match delays due to extreme heat and thunderstorms.

Bautista Agut, who overcame 28 aces from the Argentine, saved 13 of 17 break points. It was his first win Bautista Agutover a Top 5 opponent and he would streak into his first major Round of 16, before succumbing to Grigor Dimitrov in four sets. The beginning of his banner year on the ATP World Tour, Bautista Agut would finish with 45 match wins and two titles in three finals, triumphing at the Topshelf Open and MercedesCup.

“I feel comfortable on these courts. These courts are good for my game,” said Bautista Agut. “I'm serving and returning very well. That helps me a lot. Today I could return a lot of serves from Del Potro. This was the key to win the fourth and fifth sets.”

Del Potro, who was troubled by a wrist injury that would eventually sideline him for the majority of the 2014 season, lauded his opponent: “In every moment, he played unbelievable shots. During break point down, he served well. He made winners with forehands and backhands, and he played close to the lines very often during the match.”

Spaniards and Grand Slam upsets proved to be synonymous in 2014, as Guillermo Garcia-Lopez turned in the stunner of the fortnight at Roland Garros.

Stan Wawrinka entered the second major of the year with burgeoning confidence, having surged past Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal to win his maiden title at the Australian Open and overcoming Roger Federer in Monte-Carlo to claim his first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 crown. The Swiss soared to World No. 3 in the Emirates ATP Rankings and was looking to extend a 4-2 FedEx ATP Head2Head edge over Garcia-Lopez, as the pair stepped on Court Philippe Chatrier for a first round clash.

The Spaniard was not intimidated. Garcia-Lopez would win 75 per cent of first serve points, breaking Wawrinka on eight of 12 chances to complete the four-set stunner in two hours and 23 minutes.

Garcia-Lopez, who had won his third ATP World Tour title on the clay of Casablanca and reached the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters quarter-finals (l. to Djokovic) a month prior, recorded his fifth victory over a Top 5 Garcia-Lopezopponent. He would streak to his first Grand Slam fourth round in what was his 39th main draw appearance, falling to home favourite Gael Monfils.

"This match is very illustrative of the season I just had," Garcia-Lopez said. "I'm very relaxed, and matches go very well. I think I'm not as overwhelmed by emotions as I used to be, and that's the way I would talk about my season so far. I play my game at my level. I fight on every point."

Wawrinka was the first Australian Open champion to lose in the first round of the subsequent Roland Garros since Petr Korda in 1998. He also became the first first-time men's Grand Slam winner to lose in the first round of their next major since Lleyton Hewitt at the 2002 Australian Open.

Only six players have reached at least 10 straight Grand Slam quarter-finals in the Open Era: Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Ivan Lendl, Rafael Nadal, Pete Sampras and David Ferrer.

Ferrer saw his streak come to an end this year in the Wimbledon second round, after being upended by Andrey Kuznetsov in five sets. The Russian entered the encounter at No. 118 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, having won just three tour-level matches on grass and having never beaten a Top 10 player. The 2009 Wimbledon boys’ champion had not won a Grand Slam match in a year, since ousting Albert Montanes in his opener at the All England Club in 2013.

A free-swinging Kuznetsov would overcome a two-sets-to-one deficit to prevail 6-2 in the fifth, hammering 77 winners and converting on nine of 21 break points for the victory in three hours and 12 minutes.

Ferrer, who picked up a stomach bug at Roland Garros, had not played on grass prior to arriving at the All England Club. He admitted, “I lost because my opponent was better. I think I played a good game, but he surprised to me and… [hit] a lot of winners. In the important moments, he was more aggressive than me.” The Spaniard dropped to a 19-11 record in fifth sets.

Kuznetsov would fall to Leonardo Mayer in the third round – his best Grand Slam finish. He would go on to match the result at the US Open two months later, upsetting Fernando Verdasco in another five-setter.

Momentum breeds success. For 17 years, Roger Federer has been near untouchable on the Grand Slam stage after winning the first set. The Swiss entered a Round of 16 meeting with Ernests Gulbis at Roland Garros with a 238-11 win-loss record when claiming the opener.

Federer would capture the first set 7/5 in a tie-break, but Gulbis had other ideas. Sebastien Grosjean and 2003 champion Juan Carlos Ferrero watched on as a five-set victory for the Latvian ended Federer’s run of Roland Garros quarter-final appearances at nine straight.

“It’s the biggest win of my career,” Gulbis said in an on-court interview. “Sorry I had to win. I know how everyone likes Roger. It was a tough match but this is sport. I’ve been playing very well in France. I won tournaments in Marseille and Nice, hopefully Paris is the next one."

Federer had the chance to take a commanding two-set lead over Gulbis, but squandered a 40/15 advantage when serving at 5-3 as Gulbis fought back to level the match. The 18th seed broke Federer twice to take the third set and, after dropping the fourth, would go up an early break in the decider, eventually holding his nerve in the ninth game and serving out the match in three hours and 42 minutes.

Gulbis, who was 7/12 on break points, extended his win streak to eight consecutive matches, having come in on the back of victory in Nice the week prior. He would reach his first Grand Slam semi-final (l. to Djokovic) after topping Tomas Berdych in the quarters.

Every rising star has a first signature win on their résumé that marks their arrival. A 19-year-old Pete Sampras upset Ivan Lendl and Andre Agassi at the 1990 US Open en route to the title, 19-year-old Roger Federer beat top seed Sampras at Wimbledon in 2001 and a 19-year-old Rafael Nadal toppled Federer in the 2005 Roland Garros semi-finals.

This year, with a Wimbledon quarter-final berth at stake, Nadal found himself on the other end of the upset against a 19 year old. A fearless Greek-Malaysian-Australian named Nick Kyrgios provided the drama, stunning the World No. 1 in four gritty sets.

“I think I was in a bit of a zone out there,” Kyrgios told BBC television. “It hasn't sunk in what just played out out there. I played extraordinary tennis. I was struggling a bit on return, but I worked my way into it. I served at a really good level and I'm really happy.

“You've got to believe you can win the match from the start and I did. I'm playing unbelievable tennis on the grass. He hit extraordinary shots, but he's always going to bring that.”

Kyrgios was making his Wimbledon main draw debut as a wild card a year after lifting the boys’ doubles trophy with fellow Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis. The Canberra native came into Wimbledon on the back of winning the Nottingham grass-court ATP Challenger Tour title, but had won just one tour-level match during the season. He became the first player to reach the Wimbledon quarter-finals on his debut since Florian Mayer in 2004 (l. to Grosjean).

Striking 70 winners, including 37 aces, Kyrgios did not blink as he closed out victory over Nadal in two minutes shy of three hours on Centre Court. He was the second player outside the Top 100 to beat a World No. 1 at a Grand Slam. Andrei Olhovskiy had defeated Jim Courier in the 1992 Wimbledon third round.

“I just go through my routine and I just play aggressive," said Kyrgios. "If they play too good on that point, then it's too good. But I'm going to go after it and give myself the best chance to win the point.

“That's the biggest win of my career obviously, and that's something I'm never going to forget,” he said. “I'm going to draw so much confidence out of that no matter where I play now. To have that under my belt, it's massive.”