In the sphere of culture, many movies, books, and musical compositions contain what is called a bookend. A scene towards the end of a piece will recall, however subtly, something from the beginning. It creates a complete circle for the viewer or listener, tying the work together.

Grigor Dimitrov’s 2013 season could be said to be bookended. Twice this year, he has faced the third-ranked player in the world. Both times it was in a final.

The 2013 season was a year of increased potential for Dimitrov. Many noted his raw talent, even when he was just a teenager. His style of play, so similar to Roger Federer’s, has captured the attention of tennis fans worldwide. Could he one day reach the heights to which Federer ascended?

Audiences had been waiting impatiently to see Dimitrov begin to realize this potential. Maybe they have expected too much too soon, for even Federer needed several years to develop. Nevertheless, the Bulgarian’s inconsistency has disappointed so far, offering flashes of brilliance but not sustained achievement. 

Back in January, at the very start of the season, Dimitrov reached his first career final at an Australian Open tune-up event in Brisbane. At last, he sustained a high level of tennis through several matches, convincing many viewers that he had turned a corner from those earlier disappointments. In the final, Dimitrov lost to then-No. 3 Andy Murray. He competed well for much of that encounter, but he faltered rather than rising to the occasion at the moments that mattered most.

Having spent much of 2011-12 mired between No. 70 and No. 100 in the rankings, Dimitrov built on bis Brisbane breakthrough. In 2013, he has become dangerous to any opponent, as he showed by upsetting Novak Djokovic at a Masters 1000 event in Madrid and winning sets from Rafael Nadal at two others. Dimitrov still lacks the consistency that defines a truly elite player, suffering the occasional stumble.  But he has entrenched himself firmly inside the top 30. 

His 2013 campaign on court may have been overshadowed by his highly publicized romance with Maria Sharapova, which may be good for Dimitrov. The Bulgarian has managed to develop his game without the suffocating level of scrutiny that has blighted phenoms like Richard Gasquet or Bernard Tomic. Dimitrov is no longer just a Federer facsimile. He plays with both power and finesse, forging his own style.

This past Sunday, just like that Sunday back in January, Dimitrov reached an ATP final. Just like that Sunday in Brisbane, he faced the world No. 3, although this time it was not Murray but David Ferrer. Just like that Sunday in Brisbane, Dimitrov lost the first set.

But that was where the underdog flipped the script. Dimitrov came roaring back with a display of poised, determined tennis to overcome the heavily favored Ferrer.  In only his second final, he played like he belonged on this stage.  The Stockholm title was Dimitrov’s first and the first for any man from his native Bulgaria.

Perhaps the bookending motif does not do Dimitrov justice after all.  The rising star did not end 2013 as he had started it. He began the season with a pedestrian ranking and a fallible performance in his first final. He ended the season with a ranking high enough for a seed at majors, several strong efforts against the ATP elite, and a hard-earned, well-deserved maiden title.  (Not to mention a celebrity girlfriend.)

All in all, 2013 should be considered a success for the Bulgarian. And maybe he can take that momentum into 2014, where he can start to give fans a taste of what they have expected from him for so long.