While Tomas Berdych was burdened with the task of discussing his prospects before the tournament began, there was a moment of confusion when the Czech was asked to pinpoint his worst and best moments of the year. The worst was simple. Berdych immediately spoke of his collapse at the first hurdle of Roland Garros earlier in the year, where he fell in five sets to Gael Monfils. Even so, he was quick, with a smile, to emphasize the quality of that match despite the despairing defeat. However, it was the second answer that would take considerably more thought. What was his crowning jewel of 2013? He deliberated and deliberated until, with an unsatisfied finality, he pointed towards his consistency and rise to the top five.

More than anything else, it was that exchange that perhaps encapsulated the Czech’s 2013 campaign. This was a season of consistency, a season characterized by, after seven years of trying, finally breaking through the barrier that will forever allow himself to be named as a former top-five player. On the other side of the scale, even the lowest moments were not quite low enough to be recalled with anything other than a smile and chuckle.

But the highs were few and far between.

This is certainly in part because of the 0 next to the “titles won” column on his ATP profile. One of the distinct aspects of tennis is that, irrespective of the performances and victories, any title-less excursion invariably finishes with a loss. This year, Berdych has defeated Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray, yet the brutal finality of the defeats that followed has made it difficult to fully appreciate his performances this year. It is completely at odds with most other sports in which teams and individuals are able to savor and draw from singular victories.

Maybe the blame should be placed on Berdych flailing as a victim of his own considerable success in recent years. An example has been his overwhelming pride in qualifying for the World Tour Finals for a fourth successive year. As evidenced by Stanislas Wawrinka’s endearing wonder at finally landing amongst the top eight himself, qualifying for these championships once is impressive enough. Closing out the year in such emphatic style four times in a row should be overwhelmingly impressive, and yet the feeling that he should be achieving even more dominates.

But here Berdych is regardless. After an unimpressive loss to Wawrinka in the first stage, he has come roaring back into contention with a scarily routine straight-sets victory over a David Ferrer who looks about ready to call it a season and retreat to the sunshine and beaches. Afterwards, he spoke about his victory.

“Well, the match in Paris [that he lost to Ferrer last week] was very close,” said Berdych.  On this kind of level, with these kind of players, it's not easy at all.  So probably we can play in two days and the game is going to look again very different. I'm very glad my game was better.  My game plan was working from beginning to the end, serving really well. There were a lot of positive things from today.”

A lot of positives, indeed. However, in a year in which defining moments have been so few and far between, it may be that Berdych has saved his very best moment for last. After all, as the story is told every last time they face each other across the net, it was seven years ago that Berdych dispatched Rafael Nadal in straight sets on home soil at the Madrid Masters, roaring to an early 3-1 lead in their head-to-head and marking himself as a player who would trouble the Spaniard for years to come. The crowd was in maliciously booing voice that night, and the Czech responded by sticking a finger to his mouth and silencing them. Nadal himself erupted into a flurry of anger at the sight of that gesture and has mercilessly crushed Berdych 15 times in a row since..                                                                                    

They have since faced each other once on indoor hard, three years ago at the 2010 edition of the final showdown, and it too ended in a Nadal victory. However, it may be that Berdych will not ever get a better chance to defeat Nadal again as they line up on Nadal’s worst surface after two underwhelming victories for the Spaniard, who is already securely through into the semifinals. He would be well advised to take his chance.

“It's going to be a big one, that's for sure,” Berdych said on the matter. “It's again the situation that I lost my first [match], won the second. Now I'm going to fight for the semis. I probably cannot have any tougher opponent than I have. But he's already through. He's secure for No. 1. You never know.”