Sportskeeda Tennis Awards 2014: Achievements of the Year - Male

We witnessed many epic matches in 2014. The top three players did not have it easy against players ranked below them. There were a few upsets at the Grand Slams and young players stamped their authority on the big stage. The year also saw some outstanding performances from individuals who raised the bar to a whole new level with terrific tennis.It was a tough choice to come up with five best achievements of the year. Feel free to express your opinion in the comments section below if you think we missed out on any major achievement.

#5 Kei Nishikori - becoming first Asian man to reach a Grand Slam final

The Asian No. 1 had the best season of his career on the ATP tour. He won three titles – Barcelona, Malaysian Open and the Japan Open. Nishikori was at the Mutua Madrid Open, where he led Rafael Nadal by a set and a break before being brought down by injury.

However, Nishikori’s breakthrough performance came at Flushing Meadows where he beat Milos Raonic and Stan Wawrinka in the fourth round and quarterfinals respectively in five-set thrillers.

He went on to beat World No. 1 Novak Djokovic in the semifinals in four sets to become the first Asian man to reach a Grand Slam final. He lost the final to Marin Cilic in straight sets.

The Japanese also reached the semifinals of the BNP Paribas Masters in Paris, where he lost to Djokovic in straight sets. By virtue of reaching the semifinals, he became the first Asian player to qualify for the ATP World Tour finals.

He reached his career high ranking of 5 this year.