It did not happen with any kind of immediacy.  But that was to be expected in a world where nothing is simple with Stanislas Wawrinka. Instead, there was a long and hard wait to endure first as the questions multiplied and the seemingly assured outcome of Rafael Nadal slaying Tomas Berdych for the 16th time in a row was thrown into doubt after a forehand assault from the Czech. At one point, it seemed that Wawrinka’s fears were about to come true as Berdych screamed back into contest, while the Swiss could do little but take to social media and look on as the outcome was far beyond his control.

This situation that often presents itself in the unique setting of the World Tour Finals is even more alien because control is, in essence, the most defining aspect of tennis. Every day, in every match, each player is afforded an equal opportunity to steer his own ship and control his own destiny. Many choose to diligently forge a career on the errors of others, but there always remains that vital choice to steal into the baseline or launch to the net and attempt to take any given match by the scruff of the neck. Moreover, the season is defined solely by an individual’s wins or losses. It is not a league in which surrounding results are equally as important as one’s own in distinguishing between success and failure.

For one week, however, anarchy rules the world as scenarios like this present themselves with the players forced to look helplessly on. Nevertheless, it finally was confirmed. Stanislas Wawrinka had stormed into the semifinals of the World Tour Finals in his first appearance at the event.

The achievement is even more impressive after Wawrinka’s start to the year. How can we forget that start? Even after the breathtaking season that unexpectedly followed, there was one match that remains the single most memorable point of his season. At the Australian Open, we witnessed Wawrinka execute an all-time memorable performance in defeat before he was flattened by the machine that Is Novak Djokovic. In the aftermath, talk circled about this man so unlucky in his inability to seize the moment or capture a lucky break. It seemed unlikely that he ever would.

Thus, his last act of 2013 was fitting. Wawrinka was placed in the markedly less spectacular group of the two in London, so the door of opportunity swung open again and urged him across the threshold. He kicked off his season by falling painfully short in what seemed the match of his lifetime, and now he is finishing the year by seizing another chance with both hands. In the process, Wawrinka recorded his eighth and ninth victories of 2013 against top-10 opponents.

More than anything, this climax bodes intriguingly well for the 2014 season. Expectations will be bolstered then, but so too will opportunities and the chance to tread even further forward. Wawrinka will continue to hold a top-eight seed in most major tournaments, and he will have the confidence and vitality to match. With those nine searing victories over elite opposition, he has unarguably positioned himself among the key challengers outside the top five, a threat to anyone except (so far) Nadal. His two victories in London reaffirmed that he has the ability to take the chances presented to him, and it may just be that a few more fly his way in 2014.

“I think tennis is more than one thing,” said Wawrinka afterwards. “It's like a puzzle.  You have to put all the pieces together.  That's what happened for me this year.  When you win, you get more confident, so you feel better on the court.  When I feel good physically, I can play better tennis, so technically I'm much better.”

“A lot of small things make a huge difference,” he continued. “But for sure I think this year the most important was my self‑confidence on the court.  Now when I come on the court, even against Berdych, against Rafa [Nadal], against Ferrer today, I know that I can beat them.  That's already a big step ahead.”

And that big step ahead could lead to others for this Swiss star on the rise.