Tomas Berdych Is the Player Most Likely to Have a Majors Breakthrough in 2013

Tomas Berdych finished 2012 just outside the Top Five in the ATP Tour rankings.

His time is due in 2013 when he is most likely to have a majors break.

Why? Many reasons.

It is important to note that Berdych has spent 2012 playing for his country as well as for himself.

The year 2013 will be for himself.

There are various signs for all to see that suggest Berdych will finally make the transition to the next level.

Berdych had a good second half of the year compared to the first, and that is where he has to make efforts to become a better player next year.

If Berdych can do well on clay and grass in the same vein as hard courts, he will no doubt cross David Ferrer in the rankings very soon.

There is no doubt about his ability, even from his junior days, and this year, he has proved that he can climb even higher. 

Will 2013 see him in the Top Five? Definitely possible.

Here are 10 reasons why Berdych is the player most likely to have a majors breakthrough in 2013:

Paris and Rome

Two tournaments where Berdych lost out in the quarterfinals (to Rafael Nadal on clay in Rome and Gilles Simon on hard-court in Paris) did have an impact on Berdych's progress in the rankings.

But, Berdych was not to be left behind.

Shanghai and Monte Carlo

Reaching the semifinal in Shanghai and Monte Carlo was tough for Berdych.

In Shanghai's hard-court, Berdych lost out to Novak Djokovic in the semis after defeating Sam Querrey and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga on the way.

Earlier in the year, in Monte Carlo's clay courts, Berdych defeated Marin Cilic, Kei Nishikori and Andy Murray en route to the semifinals where he was halted by Djokovic once again!

Hopman Cup

By partnering with Petra Kvitova, Berdych was the eventual winner in the team event before the Australian Open tournament began.

This was good practice for Berdych since he won all his matches in the tournament. 

A good start to the year that culminated in the Davis Cup win!

Stockholm and Montpellier

Earlier in the year, Stockholm and Montpellier were good for Berdych, where he recorded his two tour titles of the year.

Defeating Nicolas Mahut, Phil Kohlschreiber and Gael Monfils on the hard-court was a good start for Berdych after his loss at the Australian Open.

Similarly, before the World Tour Finals, Berdych accumulated valuable points at Stockholm by winning the tournament by defeating Almagro and Tsonga on the way to another hard-court title.

Madrid Finals

At Madrid on the blue clay, where most of the tournament favourites struggled, Berdych reached the final only to falter to the all-time great, Roger Federer.

After defeating Gael Monfils, Fernando Verdasco and Juan Martin del Potro on the way, Berdych lost to Federer in three tight sets.

Season-Ending Finals

Berdych qualified for the season-ending finals in London thanks to his consistent performances throughout the year.

But his performance was not up to his satisfaction.

A sole win over Tsonga was not enough for Berdych to progress further from the group that also had Djokovic and Murray.

AO Performance

At the Australian Open, Berdych reached the quarters with solid performance throughout.

Winning tie-breaks in his earlier matches, Berdych received the same dose in his match against Rafael Nadal, ending his tournament run.

But this performance was good enough for Berdych to gain the confidence to compete better in subsequent tournaments in the year (especially in the second half of the year).

US Open Performance

Berdych reached the semi-finals in the US Open, a best performance for him at Flushing Meadows.

Only a determined Andy Murray could stop Berdych—especially with the winds—from moving further in the draw.

Beating David Goffin, Sam Querrey, Nicolas Almagro and Roger Federer in the early rounds, Berdych gained huge confidence in this performance.

This win alone could have done wonders for his determination to move up the chain in 2013.

Davis Cup Win

The Davis Cup saw Czech Republic win both the team titles after a long time.

One of the architects of the win was Berdych.

This win would have pleased the team-man to no end!

Beating Federer in US Open

Roger Federer fell to Berdych for the second time in Grand Slam tournaments in recent years.

This is a sign that Berdych seems to have the hold of the Master in best-of-five sets.

A dominating win was proof enough that Berdych is here to stay and ready to take the next step (conquer the Grand Slams).

All he needs is a slip-up from the Fab Four (Federer, Nadal, Djokovic and Murray). Berdych is waiting.