Five match points arrived before swiftly vacating the premises as Dominic Thiem struggled and failed to close Santiago Giraldo out and swoop across the threshold into his first ATP 500 quarterfinal. To make matters worse, this was not the work of some titanic last stand from the Colombian. Rather, it was another coolly dominant performance from Thiem, one that elicited plenty of chances to stroll to victory in the final set. But he converted just three break points of 21 and one of 14 in the final set. An opportunity missed indeed.

The question continues to be asked, yet the answer remains as vague and unsure as ever. Who will lead the next generation and break through first? Already, young contenders have arrived, only to make swift exits. Bernard Tomic was once much hyped as he waltzed to the quarterfinals of Wimbledon at age 18, but he has been undone by his stratospheric levels of hubris. On the other side of the scale stands Ryan Harrison. The American never fails to impress with the words that stream from his mouth and the intensity of his desire, but he lacks sufficient talent to reach the top.

Others have arrived and departed even more rapidly, while others are still around yet impossible to categorize. Milos Raonic falls into the second of those groups. The Canadian has been one of the most consistent players in the ATP this year, having contested the quarterfinals of each of the three ATP Masters 1000 events—a distinction shared only by Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer. His level-headedness in most instances has been a permanent fixture since his explosion onto the scene in 2010. The improvements he has strived to implement in his game are admirable, and yet the Canadian appears to be nearing his ceiling.

Grigor Dimitrov also fits snugly under the umbrella of players difficult to consider and predict. The long-awaited improvement from the Bulgarian is notable and no better summed up than his two recent ATP titles, but there remains the feeling that something is crucially missing.

The question remains:  where does young Thiem fit into all of this? Outside the Big Four, it is rare to see a player not constrained by a glaring weakness. For some, immobility leaves them at a disadvantage in pursuit of a top ranking. For others, their lack of weapons become glaringly obvious. The Austrian's greatest quality is his well-roundedness. Thiem is a player who comes equipped with all facets of the game. He is quick and athletic, capable of falling back to defense for long periods. His groundstrokes are heavy, laced with a wicked concoction of topspin and pace, and he enjoys teeing off on flamboyant shots at will.

Thiem’s talent is undeniable. This week marked the sixth time that the Austrian has qualified for an ATP event since the beginning of the season four months ago. His achievement underlines just how urgently the Austrian wants to break onto the Tour rather than continuing to ply his trade and notch up challenger points. Since this week’s effort will catapult him to 70th in the rankings, that certainly is a job well done.