Serve big. Return big. Camp out on the baseline hitting big groundstrokes. Play exceptional defense.

Count Feliciano Lopez among the select few who missed the memo on taking that approach to finding success in the men’s game. Granted, Lopez does possess one of the more powerful deliveries on the ATP World Tour, and his forehand is an effective weapon. But rather than stay back and trade groundstrokes all day, the Spaniard is always on the lookout for that first opportunity to make his way toward the net—a place that few players today dare to tread, regardless of the surface.

The readiness to attack has contributed to Lopez advancing past the quarterfinals at a Masters 1000 event for only the third time in his career this week in Toronto. He defeated top-eight players Tomas Berdych and Milos Raonic in back-to-back three-setters, both of whom arguably possess more firepower than Lopez.

Still, he was able to keep both of them off balance, swinging his left-handed serve out wide and booming it up the tee. From the baseline, Lopez was able to stay in rallies by opening up the court with the forehand and heavy slices off the backhand side. In fact, Lopez rarely comes over the ball with his backhand, a rarity in professional tennis where every slow ball is looked at as an opportunity to attack. In most cases, though, it’s Lopez who's the player going forward—chipping and charging from that side and ending rallies promptly at the net with some of the best volleys among singles players.

So far, 2014 has been one of the best years of his career, including the pre-Wimbledon stretch whenhe made consecutive finals and reached the fourth round at the year’s third major. Grass has always suited Lopez’s game. He’s a three-time Wimbledon quarterfinalist. But he’s also posted positive results on all surfaces, with final-round appearances on clay and hard courts, as well, over the years.

On the north side of 30, the Spanish veteran is close to his career-high ranking of No. 15.  Getting higher might be a difficult task, for a slice backhand can only take someone so far at the big tournaments. But Lopez will continue to charge forward, playing with an attacking mind-set that’s outside the norm, but one that often pays dividends.